


Say You’ll Be Mine

by a1_kitkat



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Bisexual Kyle Valenti, Boys Kissing, Caught in a Storm, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Kylex, Love Confessions, M/M, Medical Emergency, Neck Kissing, Not Beta Read, Pining, Post 1x13, Power Outage, Road Trips, Sharing a Bed, Tumblr Prompt, dog sitting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 08:48:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20288716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: For @any1canfall on tumblrAfter Alex leaves town and his beagle in Kyle’s care, the Doctor receives a phone call telling him his friend has been injured.Kyle immediately drops everything to run to Alex’s side... because it’s what friends do and nothing at all relating to the fact that Kyle is head over heels in love with him.





	Say You’ll Be Mine

**Author's Note:**

> I need to say this was prompted to me probably more than three (closer to four) MONTHS ago and I can’t begin to apologize for how long it has taken me to fill this!!!!  
My prompter (any1canfall) has been wonderfully patient as I fought to finally deliver this fic. 
> 
> See I have this quirk where I attempt to write fics a minimum 2k words and quickly realized this one would be maybe 5k... instead it ended up being 24k!!!!
> 
> Really hope y’all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Authors note: For hilarious reasons, I decided to name Alex’s beagle ‘Candy’ as we’re yet to receive actual confirmation on what her name will be

Alex had only been gone for three days when Kyle happened upon the startling realization that he actually  _ missed _ him. They’d both been back in town several months before that day their paths had crossed at the old hunting cabin... Yet that fateful day was when everything between them had changed.

And now months later, after all the life and death situations they kept finding themselves in, not to mention the constant alien presence in their day to day lives. It had finally dawned on him.

He was in love with Alex Manes.

Kyle had tried to fight it, tried to ignore it. He’d assured himself again and again that they could never be together especially given the absolutely crazy connection between Alex and Michael but the heart wants what it wants and all Kyle knew was that he wanted Alex. 

He picked up his phone, opened a new text but didn’t know what to say so he closed it. Alex was an adult, going through a difficult time and he’d told Kyle he needed time and space to sort through some stuff. Kyle didn’t want to bother him with mundane texts but a part of him did want to know how he was going with processing his feelings for Michael.

He knew what had happened inside Caulfield; Alex hadn’t held back and had told him everything. So it had been as much a slap in the face to him too when he’d walked into the Wild Pony and seen Michael and Maria... it also came as no surprise when he’d gotten a text from Alex saying he needed to get out of town for a bit and could he please look after his beagle, Candy.

Kyle had gone one step too far though and packed a bag for himself then essentially moved in to Alex’s place to keep the puppy happy. He didn’t want to uproot her so he told himself it was just logical for him to stay with her... He didn’t think Alex would mind but it did beg the question where exactly had Alex gone that he’d left her behind? Kyle had originally assumed Alex had gone to the cabin but if that were the case then he would’ve taken her with him.

She appeared to be missing Alex even more than Kyle was but it was understandable given he was her one constant. The puppy pined for Alex and he didn’t have it in him to scold her because he absolutely understood how she felt. Candy spent her nights curled up on Alex’s bed while Kyle huddled on the couch. Until his fourth night when he poured himself a drink then immediately proceeded to spill the entire thing in his lap and all over the couch. He cleaned it up as best he could but now he had no other choice than to sleep in Alex’s bed.

Kyle stripped off his damp clothes and slid, naked, under the covers. It felt strange like he was doing something naughty but Candy quickly snuggled up next to him and pressed her tiny body against his. He buried his face in the pillow and inhaled Alex’s unique scent while idly petting the sleeping puppy. 

It was the first night she didn’t cry for Alex in her sleep but Kyle did.

The next morning, he decided to take her for a walk. He affixed her leash, they stepped outside and she immediately began to growl. Kyle looked around to see what had unsettled her but the street was deserted aside for the pickup truck that was moving very slowly along the road. His eyes met with those of the driver and they both held their stare for a beat before Michael slammed on the gas and the truck took off in a hurry.

His heart was thumping in his chest. Had Michael been waiting outside to talk to Alex? Did he not know Alex had gone away? Did Michael now think Kyle had spent the night with him?

That last thought made him feel just a tiny bit smug. Michael had walked away; Alex was free to see whoever he wanted. Kyle paused then scolded himself. A gentle reminder that he and Alex weren’t together... Alex didn’t even  _ know _ that Kyle was basically squatting in his home.

Kyle continued on their walk but was on alert as he wondered if he’d see the truck again. He took his phone from his pocket several times, debated if he should tell Alex... if there was a chance the two of them could find their way back to each other; it was none of his business of course but he couldn’t help feeling he was keeping something important secret from his friend... just because he didn’t want them reconciling didn’t mean Alex didn’t want it.

Still unsure if he wanted to open that can of worms, Kyle lifted his phone and snapped a photo of Candy to send instead. It wasn’t until after he pressed ‘send’ that he realized what he’d done. In the background of the image was Michael’s truck.

He tried not to think about it for the rest of the day but every time his phone beeped, his heart would stop then he’d be disappointed when it wasn’t Alex replying.

*

Kyle had to work the next few days but he kept a constant eye out for Michael or his truck whenever he was out and about. Until it happened that he was taking her for another walk this time in the park near Alex’s place and she began to act strangely. For a young pup she was very friendly, so he couldn’t understand why she was suddenly growling and showing her tiny teeth... until he recognized the cowboy hat.

Michael and Maria were standing very close together but too far away from him for Kyle to hear what they were arguing about. He didn’t particularly care either so he scooped the puppy into his arms and carried her home. She immediately snuggled into his embrace and when he finally reached Alex’s place, she was reluctant to leave his arms.

That night when Kyle crawled into Alex’s bed, she rested her little head upon his chest and fell asleep in no time... but Kyle stared at his phone and the lack of messages from Alex until he too nodded off to sleep.

***

A week passed and Kyle still hadn’t heard a peep from Alex; he didn’t want to admit he was worried. He was certain his friend was okay but he didn’t like not knowing. 

What if he’d had an accident? If he was at the cabin and he fell, the prosthetic gave out or something? He could be unconscious or bleeding out or anything! He really tried not to panic as he realized he’d really overstayed his welcome at Alex’s place. He definitely needed to go home himself so he packed Candy up and took her with him.

She was much more resilient than he’d given her credit for as she quickly made herself right at home. Kyle didn’t have the heart to tell her to keep off the furniture and quickly found her sleeping on his bed. 

For three days she stayed by his side unless he was at work but he even found himself leaving the hospital on his lunch breaks to run home and check on her. He was becoming convinced he was going to miss her constant company once Alex finally came home but he assured her he would fight for visitation.

*

Kyle was working the afternoon shift when he stopped by his locker to check his phone, in case Alex had called to check in, and was stumped to find he’d just missed a call from Phoenix. Since he didn’t know anyone there he was debating calling the number back when he heard his name being paged over the loudspeaker. He hurried to the nurses station and was told an urgent phone call was waiting.

He asked to have it transferred then ducked into an office for privacy. The voice on the other end was very formal but the words he was saying were just confusing. The gist of the conversation being that Captain Manes had been in an accident on base and it was protocol for his emergency contact to be informed.

His brain only focused on two key words. Alex. Injured. As a Doctor a million different scenarios rushed through his mind, each more devastating than the previous. He had to remind himself Alex had already lost his leg… what more could he suffer through?

He finally managed to clear his head enough to ask the right questions and take down a contact number. By the time he ended the call, a plan was already in place and he was prepared to jump in his car right this minute, drive across state lines to Arizona to see for himself that Alex was okay.

But he couldn’t do that; he was a responsible adult and couldn’t just drop everything to go running to Alex. He needed a plan which involved swapping shifts at work and looking at flights or maps. Kyle tried calling Alex but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t answer.

He caught up on his washing while packing another bag and talking to his mother on the phone to beg a favor from her. He spent a very restless night trying not to think about Alex. He’d been assured the man was fine but he wasn’t going to believe it until he saw with his own eyes.

Kyle was up before the sun and took Candy for an early walk to stretch her legs before making sure he had everything he could possibly need then he drove to his mother’s place where he reluctantly left the puppy in her care. He also left a million instructions and a key to Alex’s place in case she got restless and needed to be taken home. His mother was nice enough to humor him but time was getting away and he needed to get going for he had a very long drive ahead of him.

Once he was on the road, cursing the fact there was only one direct flight per day that just happened to be cancelled today of all days, he felt a touch better knowing he was actively doing something productive but that didn’t stop his mind from replaying every possible worst case scenario over and over in his head. Logically he  _ knew  _ Alex was okay, had been assured several times by the officer he’d spoken to and by his mother but that still wasn’t enough. A part of him was convinced they were lying, he just couldn’t turn his Doctor-Brain off.

Kyle didn’t even want to stop to stretch his legs but he needed coffee so he pulled up at a rest stop. While waiting for his drink, he tried calling Alex but still no response. He told himself everything was fine.

He was a few hours from Tucson, so he decided to press on and as he climbed back in the car his phone beeped. He snatched it up but it was only a text from his mom with a photo attached. Kyle opened it and smiled at the image of the beagle asleep on the couch. The sight put him at ease and he took a deep, calming breath.

‘Thanks, I needed that’ he texted her back.

‘Drive safe. I think she misses you’ she replied.

Kyle smiled and looked at the photo again. He was pretty sure she missed Alex a lot more than she missed Kyle but he had to admit that he definitely missed her… she’d been his constant companion in Alex’s absence. One last glance at the picture then he put his phone away, pulled onto the main road and continued his long drive.

He hit heavy traffic just shy of Tucson so he admitted defeat and pulled off for an extended rest. Kyle found a place to eat and ordered a decent sized meal then took his time to eat. Even after he finished the traffic was still backlogged due to an accident but he refused to call it. No matter how much longer it took, he was going to see Alex  _ today _ .

***

He knew it was definitely outside of visiting hours even as he pulled into the carpark but it wasn’t going to stop him from at least trying to get in and see Alex. His options were to flash his own credentials to play the Doctor card, claim to be Alex’s family which he essentially  _ was _ or the last resort was simply to beg.

Kyle followed the signs to where he needed to be and came up short when he saw an officer standing by the Nurses station. He knew he could wait him out but that would just be wasting time... time he could be spending with Alex.

He took a deep breath, stood up taller and approached the desk with his best authoritative walk. Both the Nurse and the officer looked at him expectantly and he immediately lost his confidence. These two people were all that stood between him and Alex, he hoped they’d see reason.

“Can I help you?” The Nurse asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Visiting hours ended an hour ago” the officer added.

“It was a long drive from Roswell” he knew it sounded lame “but there’s only one direct flight and it was cancelled and I didn’t want to put it off another day because I just had to get here and see Alex and make sure he was okay”

Kyle was babbling and speaking way too quickly but for some reason he was close to tears already. What if they told him he couldn’t see Alex? The very thought caused a pain deep inside him.

“Roswell... Alex...” the officer frowned then appeared to give Kyle a once over with his gaze, trying to size him up “You’re here to see Manes?”

Kyle nodded. Why couldn’t he speak?

“And you drove all the way from Roswell to see him?”

Kyle mutely nodded again.

“That’s a long drive”

“Nine... hours?” He stammered “give or take”

“So are you family or just crazy?”

“I love him” Kyle blushed as the words just slipped out.

“Guerin?” The Officer questioned him, still frowning. “Are you Guerin?”

“Yes” Kyle lied through his teeth “I’m Michael Guerin”

The Officer shook his head from side to side, almost in disappointment.

“You’re an asshole” he muttered. Kyle opened his mouth to protest but couldn’t because yeah Michael really was. “But you drove all that way so...” he sighed “I guess you’re not a total ass”

“So... Can I see him?” Kyle asked, hopefully.

“Well it  _ is _ outside visiting hours but I won’t tell if you don’t”

Kyle didn’t want to get his hopes up but he shook his head; he wouldn’t utter a word to anyone that he had to pretend to be Michael just to see Alex. His heart was pounding as the Officer indicated for him to follow. They made their way down the hall and around a corner, through an open door to a bed with a curtain drawn around it.

“Hey Manes” The Officer softly called “you awake? You have a visitor”

He opened the curtain and Kyle’s heart leapt into his throat at the very sight of Alex. His eyes immediately scanned every inch of him and noted the bandage on his wrist but the look of confusion on his face was about to blow his cover.

Kyle didn’t even think, he ran towards him and captured his lips in a swift kiss. He couldn’t blame Alex for not returning the embrace but Kyle held it until the Officer cleared his throat and declared he’d ‘give them some time alone’.

As soon as he stepped away, Kyle immediately pulled back and uttered a hasty apology.

“I’m sorry” he whispered “but he asked if I was Guerin and I said yes... and I didn’t want you blowing my cover”

Alex merely frowned then cocked his eyebrow.

“Markham asked if you were Michael?” He sounded confused.

“They asked at the nurses station if I was family and I said kinda and he just assumed so I went with it”

Alex chuckled and Kyle’s heart skipped a beat. Fuck he loved Alex’s laugh.

“What?” It was Kyle’s turn to be confused.

“He knows you’re not Michael”

“How could he possibly know that?”

“I may have shown him a photo or two” he admitted “and uh” he winced “talked about his curls... a lot”

Kyle laughed as he sank down in the chair beside Alex’s bed and reached for his uninjured hand.

“So my clever ruse wasn’t that clever then” he added.

“Is that why you kissed me?”

Kyle quickly retracted his hand and shoved it into his pocket.

“Obviously” he replied “I uh had to sell it... I mean, if he knew who Guerin was then uh he must know about the two of you”

“Markham knows most of it” Alex admitted “knows I took this assignment just to get away and clear my head”

“Because Guerin walked away?”

“He made a decision” Alex shrugged “can’t say I blame him... I mean, I’ve been walking away for years... he finally got tired of it... He uh deserves to be... happy”

Kyle shifted almost uncomfortably. From what he’d observed lately, Michael was far from happy... arguing with Maria and stalking Alex’s house. He knew he should say something but didn’t want to hurt his friend.

Alex reached up and rubbed his eyes.

“Kyle, what are you doing here?”

“I got a call” he said, happy for the change of subject “saying you’d been hurt on a mission and I guess I panicked”

“It wasn’t really a mission and we were actually finished when it...”

“Not really a mission? Then what was it?”

“Just a... job... but covert and the computer systems here are more advanced hence being here and not in Roswell... We uh finished a few days ago and things were just winding up”

“So how exactly did you get hurt?”

Alex immediately began to blush and Kyle’s eyes lit up; for Alex to be embarrassed it had to be good!

“Close the door” Alex whispered.

Kyle got up, hurriedly closed the door then sat down again, eager to hear the tale.

“Come on, spill!” Kyle hissed.

“Promise you won’t tell”

“Who could I possibly tell?”

Alex was still blushing though and Kyle’s heart began to flutter. The flush on his cheeks was such a welcome sight. It was a relief to see for himself that Alex really was okay.

“I just... there’s this guy...” Alex started.

Kyle immediately felt sick. He started to his feet in anger.

“Did he do this?” Kyle demanded. “Did he hurt you?”

“What?” Alex gasped “dude, no!”

Alex immediately started to chuckle. He was  _ smiling _ so all Kyle could do was return the smile that was making him feel weak in the knees. He quickly sat back down, completely aware that Alex had grabbed his hand to calm him and was still holding it.

“We uh met when I first got here” Alex continued almost shyly “and we really hit it off... he was such a flirt and I... it was nice to be wanted”

Kyle swallowed but couldn’t speak from fear of screaming ‘I want you!’ and he merely nodded for Alex to continue and squeezed his hand.

“So we uh flirted a lot and it was fun... we had drinks a few times too then a few days ago we crossed paths on the base and uh we just looked at each other and both went for it” he paused “we were in a dead spot, away from the security cameras but I was a little too enthusiastic and uh... I was getting him off; we lost our balance and fell down the stairs”

Kyle simply stared at Alex; he didn’t know if he should laugh, cry or be appalled. It  _ was _ kinda funny but also really unprofessional on Alex and the other guy’s part. He was horrified to think Alex could’ve been seriously hurt being so reckless.

“And uh the guy?” Kyle coughed.

“Fractured penis” Alex replied, eyes averted.

“Are you shitting me?”

“We managed to land in a... dignified way so no one knows. The official report is I lost my balance with this stupid leg and he tried to help... a very unfortunate accident”

“Fuck”

“He can’t... not for a few weeks... months anyway”

“And uh you’re okay”

Alex held up his bandaged arm.

“Broken wrist” he confessed “and I damaged the prosthetic but it’s being fixed. I think they’re making me stay here until it’s ready”

“I was really worried” Kyle confessed as he brushed his thumb across Alex’s palm. “When I got the call saying you’d been hurt...”

“I’m sorry, Kyle, they never should have called you”

“Why did they?”

“It’s protocol”

“But why did they call  _ me _ ?”

Alex sighed and gently squeezed Kyle’s hand again.

“You know how the whole emergency contact thing works” Alex stated though he was looking at their hands, not Kyle’s face. “In the event of an emergency or injury and well...” he held up his injured hand.

“You listed me as your emergency contact” Kyle stated.

“Yeah... I uh... Didn’t know who else to put” Alex confessed “I usually put Maria...”

“Oh”

“Yeah... I’m sorry, I should’ve told you or at least asked”

“No, it’s fine” Kyle assured him “I was just surprised is all... I mean I had no idea where you were. I just thought you were at the cabin especially since you weren’t answering my calls or texts”

Alex started to pull his hand away but Kyle tightened his grasp, refused to let him go.

“I get you needed time” he continued “but you could’ve told me”

“It was a top secret mission” Alex explained “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone”

“I was worried” Kyle said very softly.

“Sorry”

“I had images in my head of you trapped or bleeding out from a head wound”

“How would I...?”

“It didn’t matter how! I just... you didn’t respond to  _ any _ of my texts”

Alex slowly looked up at him.

“I turned my phone off” he explained “because I... kept getting messages from... From him”

Kyle tensed but Alex squeezed his hand.

“What did they say?”

“It’s not important”

“Tell me, please?”

He licked his lips and averted his gaze as he shifted on the bed.

“I didn’t read them all” he confessed “it hurt too much but the first one said that he never meant to hurt me”

“I’m sure he meant that”

“Yeah, I think so too”

Kyle could see the sadness in Alex’s eyes. He didn’t know what to say or do to help so he just did the first thing that came to mind. Kyle stood up, urged him to move over and climbed onto the bed beside him. Neither of them said a word as Kyle wrapped his arm around Alex and pulled him close. 

They were still holding hands when the door opened and the same officer came back clearly to tell Kyle it was time to leave. The curtain shifted and Kyle found himself staring down the officer who looked at him then shifted his gaze to Alex. Kyle peered down too and realized his friend was asleep in his arms.

“You’re not really Guerin, are you?” He whispered. Kyle shook his head.

“You said you love him”

Kyle nodded ever so slightly.

“Visiting hours  _ are _ over; you really do need to go”

“Can’t I...?” He paused, kept his voice very low “would it help that I’m a Doctor?”

The Officer, Markham, moved closer and peered down at him with an odd expression.

“Doctor?” He whispered. Kyle nodded. “The high school bully?”

Those words cut deep.

“Did Alex tell you his life story or...?” Kyle asked. Markham laughed.

“Just the bare minimum. The love of his life broke his heart by taking up with his best friend so the only person still in his corner is the guy who bullied him at school”

“Pretty much sums it up”

“So you’re just here to repent for how you treated him in the past?”

“I’m here because I... I’m where I need to be. Please don’t make me leave”

He could tell the officer was struggling. It was against regulations for him to stay but Kyle couldn’t leave, not now he was holding Alex in his arms.

“Not a word” he hissed almost threateningly “and if you get caught, I’ll pretend you sneaked in when my back was turned”

“And I’ll swear I’ve never met or seen you before in my life”

The deal made, Markham left and pulled the curtain around the bed. Kyle immediately sank lower as he tried to get comfortable. He was definitely tired enough to sleep but Alex was curled up against him so all he wanted to do was watch over him, protect him and keep him safe. It was a long time before he eventually nodded off himself.

*

His arm was numb, he couldn’t even feel his fingers but he didn’t care because Alex was still asleep in his embrace. His breath was steady, even, against Kyle’s skin. He didn’t want to move from fear of waking and disturbing him but Alex’s body so close to his was having a very prominent effect on him. Kyle checked his watch, silently cursed to himself then carefully eased Alex’s head onto the pillow and slid off the bed.

Kyle moved into the bathroom, closed the door and washed his face. He needed to leave before Alex woke up because he didn’t know how he’d explain still being there but when he emerged it was to find Alex wide awake.

“You’re still here?” He sounded surprised.

“Fell asleep” Kyle said with a half shrug. “I should probably go, find a hotel”

“Dude, forget that, just go to my hotel room”

“What?”

“It’s paid for and I’m clearly not using it”

Alex reached into the drawer beside the bed and pulled out his wallet, immediately held his room key out to Kyle who could only stare at him.

“You came all this way” Alex said with a smile “go; have a shower and actual sleep” 

“Alex-” he tried to protest.

“Go! Before they catch you” he winked and Kyle felt himself giving in, reached for the room key.

“I’ll be back later”

“You better be”

He took the key; Alex gave him brief directions to the hotel and Kyle quietly slipped out of the room. He retraced his steps from the previous night, sneaked past the nurses station and didn’t breathe again until he was in the carpark. His heart was racing but he felt much better now that he’d seen and talked to Alex.

Kyle stopped for a quick bite to eat; he found the hotel easily enough after and took his bag inside. The room was modest, simple, neat and tidy. Years in the Air Force had trained him to be very organized. His suitcase was tucked in the corner, clothes neatly in the wardrobe and next to the bed was a book, resting on top was a pair of glasses.

He moved closer, picked them up and smiled. Kyle had no idea Alex wore reading glasses; he wondered what else his friend kept secret from him. Now wasn’t the time for snooping though; he shed his clothes and stepped into the shower. After the long drive the previous day then the awkward sleep, his body was definitely protesting. After drying himself, he moved back into the main room and lie down on the bed to rest his eyes for a moment before calling home.

A loud knock at the door jerked him awake and he peered at the clock; he’d slept for two hours. Kyle jumped up and opened the door to find housekeeping. He apologized and asked them to give him five minutes. Throwing on whatever he could find, he dressed quickly threw a tip on the bed and grabbed his phone, wallet and the room key. When he stepped out into the hall, the woman smiled at him and he apologized again.

Kyle headed to the carpark then sat on the bonnet of his car while he phoned his mother and assured her he’d made it okay and Alex was fine. She sent him another photo of the puppy who was clearly still missing Alex. He made a mental note to show the image to Alex as he climbed into the car and drove back to the hospital.

Now that he knew Alex was okay, he wasn’t sure what he was meant to do. Should he head home or wait for Alex? Should he offer to drive Alex home? The idea of a road trip made him nervous but also excited.

When he arrived, it was within visiting hours yet he was surprised when he reached Alex’s room and his friend wasn’t alone. 

It was wrong to eavesdrop but he didn’t want to interrupt either.

“High school was years ago” Alex was saying. “He’s not that guy anymore”

“Well yeah but neither are you... surely you’ve changed since then too”

“I wish my feelings would... Some days I look at him and he’s the same guy I fell in love with so long ago and other times he’s the guy who broke my heart”

Kyle closed his eyes. Alex was still hurting because of stupid Michael; he didn’t really want to hear any of this so he cleared his throat very loudly to announce his arrival. His eyes immediately sought Alex’s and his heart skipped a beat when his friend smiled at him.

“Not interrupting, am I?” He asked.

“Of course not, Dr Valenti” Markham said to him, hand raised in a playful salute.

“At ease soldier” Kyle joked “how’s the patient?”

“Impatient to get out of here” Alex replied.

“Which may be sooner rather than later” Markham turned to Kyle “that is, if you wanna play babysitter”

“Come again?” Kyle asked.

“Doc says they can discharge me today” Alex stated “but my prosthetic won’t be ready till tomorrow so I can stay here or go back to the hotel but with one leg it’ll be a bit hard”

“You uh you’d be okay with relying on me to help you around?” Kyle asked.

“Of course”

“Either that or he’s just sick of looking at these curtains” Markham joked.

“Those curtains are hideous” Alex snapped.

“Well the hotel ones aren’t much better” Kyle added.

“Anything is better than here”

“Then I’ll go talk to someone… I am a Doctor after all”

Kyle was just about to go in search of Alex’s Doctor as the man himself came into the room. A few choice words from Kyle, assurances Alex was in safe hands and a short while later they were signing the paperwork to have him discharged. Markham helped Alex into a wheelchair then transported him to Kyle’s car while the Doctor finished up inside.

Once again he accidentally overheard a snippet of their conversation and felt terrible for eavesdropping. He wondered just how close Alex and this Markham guy were as he tried not to feel jealous.

He watched as Alex was assisted into his car then they said their goodbyes and Kyle drove Alex back to the hotel. Both were very quiet during the brief trip until he pulled into the carpark and stopped. The realization that Kyle had to physically help Alex up to the room suddenly hitting them both.

Kyle still didn’t say anything as he got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door.

“You okay?” Kyle asked.

“Yeah” Alex flashed him a smile “just uh gimmie a sec?”

“Sure”

Kyle took a step back and leaned against the back door until Alex called to him. He didn’t know why he was so nervous as he reached for Alex, placed his arm around him and helped him from the car. He was unsteady on his leg and wrapped his arms around Kyle.

He closed his eyes and took a breath; he hadn’t really been this close to Alex since his revelation about his feelings but he forced himself to remain calm. It was a very slow process but they managed to navigate from the car to the elevator and up to the room. By the time Alex collapsed on the bed, Kyle could see how exhausted he was and spent several minutes fussing about to make sure he was comfortable and settled despite Alex’s insistence that he was fine.

Kyle offered to fetch them some lunch then went searching for food. He returned to a very grateful Alex who was already sick of hospital food. They sat on the one bed in the room and enjoyed a very unhealthy meal while Alex appeared to cast occasional glances at his phone. 

“Maybe you should call him?” Kyle finally spoke up.

“What?” Alex’s attention snapped back to Kyle.

“You keep looking at your phone… Maybe you should just talk to him?”

“I told you, I want him to be happy…” he sighed “and it’s not just him I’m ignoring”

“Maria?”

“Please, Kyle, I don’t want to talk about it” he nodded in understanding. “I came here to take my mind off all that”

“And… did it help?”

“It did… I mean, it was until” he held up his arm “spent the past few days just lying in bed, thinking about everything and… I feel like I can’t be mad”

“Sure you can”

“The heart wants what it wants, Kyle, and if Guerin and Maria want to be together then… I need to take a step back and let them figure it out”

“What about what you want?”

Alex averted his eyes, picked up a fry and shrugged.

“If I’d never come back to Roswell then none of this would’ve happened… He’s been free to see whoever he wanted for years” he explained “and so have I”

“But you both chose not to see anyone else, didn’t you?”

“Well, dating wasn’t exactly high on my priority list during deployments…” he paused again “come on, Kyle, surely we can talk about anything other than my pathetic love life” 

“You think  _ your _ love life is pathetic?” Kyle laughed. “I haven’t been on a date in two years… My longest ever relationship was with Liz… in High school”

“I’ve never even been on a date” Alex confessed.

“ _ What _ ?”

“Things happened so quickly with Michael and were over just as fast then, during my enlistment there wasn’t much one on one time so no dating and when I got back… he and I didn’t really leave his airstream… The one time we went out in public, at the drive in, it didn’t end well” 

“I kinda got the impression that the two of you were some star crossed lovers or something”

“That’s only in books and movies”

“And aliens only exist in sci-fi”

They both laughed.

*

Alex tried to convince Kyle to go out and explore the town but he hated the idea of Alex being cooped up in a hotel room. It may have only been slightly better than a hospital room but at least he had privacy and a double bed to stretch out on. Kyle was sure he was being a little too attentive but he’d driven a long way to take care of him and wasn’t going to not do that now.

Fortunately the bathroom was equipped to handle Alex’s disability so Kyle only had to help him to the doorway. Another reason he was reluctant to leave him alone. He could see the frustration on Alex’s face at having to rely on someone else for help but he accepted the assistance all the same. 

Kyle had his arm around Alex, was helping him back to the bed when he heard Alex’s voice in his ear asking if he could sit in the chair for a bit. They changed direction but somehow their legs ended up in a tangle, both lost their balance and somehow ended up in a mess on the floor. Kyle was pinned to the floor, Alex’s firm and solid body pressed against his with their faces so close together. His breath caught in his throat as he stared into Alex’s wide eyes.

His heart was racing and damn if his body wasn’t reacting quickly too.

“Kyle, I’m so sorry” Alex hastened to apologize and he struggled to pull away yet Kyle was holding him close, unwilling to let him go. 

“Are you okay?” Kyle asked him, concerned that Alex had been hurt in the stumble.

“I’m fine, really” he smiled almost shyly.

Their eyes locked yet Alex’s gaze flickered from Kyle’s eyes to his lips and back again. In turn, Kyle reached up and placed his hand upon Alex’s cheek; brushed his thumb across his bottom lip. He took a deep breath as his heart pounded in his ears. He slowly edged forward, bringing his face closer to Alex’s.

Kyle’s phone beeped very loudly, caught them both by surprise and he quickly reached for it as Alex rolled off him and leaned against the bed with his leg stretched in front of him. He didn’t look at Alex as he opened the text but the image of a peacefully sleeping beagle made him smile and he quickly showed the photo to Alex in a bid to shift the awkwardness between them.

“She looks so cute” Kyle stated as he held the phone up for Alex to see.

“Why is your mother sending you photos of my dog?” Alex asked though he was smiling.

“Because she’s precious”

“Do you think she misses me?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe”

“Really?”

“On my life she practically cried herself to sleep every night… All curled up on your bed, head on your pillow”

“How do you know she slept on my bed?”

Kyle paused then blushed as he tucked the phone away.

“I uh  _ may _ have stayed at your place a few nights”

“May have?”

“She missed you and I didn’t want to you know take her from familiar surroundings… So I crashed on the couch”

He realized how silly it sounded and found himself blushing but when he looked up, Alex was smiling at him.

“You slept on my couch for the sake of my dog?” his eyes were shining.

“Just for a night or two” Kyle admitted “or four”

“Four?” his gaze was so endearing that Kyle had to look away, almost embarrassed.

None of it had felt weird at the time, moving into Alex’s house to look after his dog just seemed so reasonable so why was he embarrassed or ashamed of it now? The time spent with her had been so comforting and relaxing, a way of being close to Alex without actually being around him yet he’d gotten so used to it, he wasn’t exactly sure how to go back to his old routine of not seeing her every day.

“I uh slept in your bed too” he squeezed his eyes shut as he spoke. “I spilled water on the couch so I… stayed with her and she was happy for the company”

He opened his eyes when he felt Alex’s hand on his.

“Thank you, Kyle, for taking such good care of her” Alex said with a sincere smile.

“You know I’m going to fight for joint custody now”

“I’ll be sure to grant you visitation”

“Thanks”

They remained on the floor a few more minutes, Alex’s hand still on Kyle’s arm until Kyle felt the need to move. He was certain if he stayed there much longer then he’d be tempted to try again. Alex kept flicking his tongue over his lips which was just drawing Kyle’s attention to those lips. He cleared his throat and climbed to his feet then helped Alex up too and settled him in the chair.

“I’m going to go for a walk, maybe get a coffee, you want something?” Kyle asked.

“Uh sure” Alex replied “anything’s fine”

“Cool… Uh… back soon”

Kyle grabbed the room key and hurried out the door. Once outside, he leaned back against it and took a deep breath. What the fuck was wrong with him? How could he possibly be thinking of _kissing_ _Alex_ at a time like this? The poor guy was hurting after the ultimate betrayal yet Kyle just wanted to hold him, tell him it would all be okay… But would it be? He knew it was crazy, stupid to have feelings for Alex. He could never expect Alex to feel the same way about him; could never compete with the intensity and the feelings Alex still had for Michael after all these years. 

He didn’t want to be a rebound either. Alex’s current injury was the result of a hasty hookup which meant Alex wasn’t against using someone to make himself feel better. This revelation actually hurt because as much as he wanted Alex right now, he’d probably subject himself to hasty hookup status if it meant being able to touch, kiss, caress, hold, love and protect him.

He made his way to the cafe across the street but didn’t go inside, he started walking instead so he just walked and walked for several blocks until he realized he’d been so lost inside his head that he hadn’t even noticed his surroundings. He was in a town he’d never been before and wasn’t appreciating it so he turned around and walked back all while trying not to think about his confusing and conflicting feelings for his friend.

Alex didn’t even know Kyle was bisexual; there just never seemed a right time to bring it up plus he just knew Alex would have a field day with the revelation. Kyle had bullied him something fierce for liking guys, how could he explain to Alex that he actually liked them too? Then there was the whole stigma about bisexual’s being promiscuous and indescisive which wasn’t exactly helped by Alex’s bisexual lover running off with a woman, nay his best friend.

Everything about this situation was messed up. Kyle needed to just put aside his feelings for him and just try to be his friend because that was what Alex needed right now, a friend… But Kyle wanted  _ more _ than friendship and if he continued in such close proximity to Alex then he may cross that proverbial line and there’d be no coming back from that.

He took out his phone and called Liz but she was mildly distracted by Rosa’s resurrection and Max’s death that she didn’t really have time to talk so he apologized and hung up. 

Kyle ducked into a cafe and bought drinks for both him and Alex then he returned to the hotel where he found Alex sitting at the table, glasses perched on his nose and face buried in a book. He stopped in the doorway and just  _ stared _ at him. Kyle’s mouth went dry at the visual of Alex wearing glasses and his heart began to race.

“I’m back” Kyle announced as the door clicked closed behind him.

Alex looked up and smiled in thanks as Kyle handed him his drink with his other hand he whipped the glasses off and put them down on top of the book.

“How long have you worn glasses?” Kyle asked him.

“A few years” Alex shrugged.

“They uh… suit you”

“Thanks” Alex blushed ever so slightly.

Kyle sank down in the chair opposite and reached for his bag, pulled out his tablet.

“So uh I’ve got some multiplayer games on here, you up for the challenge?” he asked.

“Bring it” Alex replied with another smile.

*

The hotel had a restaurant but Alex wasn’t ready to venture out so he sweet talked Kyle into ordering room service. They enjoyed the meal while watching a movie on TV then decided to have an early night. Kyle helped Alex into the bathroom where he wrapped his bandage so it wouldn’t get wet then proceeded to help him undress.

“Kyle?” Alex was confused.

“Yeah?” 

“What are you doing?”

“Helping you?”

“I’m capable of undressing myself you know?”

“Between the broken prosthetic and a damaged wrist, this is just easier”

“Are you gonna wipe my nose if sneeze? Wipe my ass when I take a shit?”

“Alex-”

“I’m not an invalid”

“I know that; I just wanna help you”

“You gonna help jack me off too?”

“Do you often jack off in the shower? Coz I’m not helping you in  _ there _ ”

“Sorry” Alex looked away “I know you’re just trying to be nice”

Kyle reached for Alex’s shirt and pulled it off over his head then he placed it aside. He turned back around and observed the shirtless Alex sitting on the edge of the bathtub. His eyes scanned his chest and torso but he quickly looked away to avoid being caught staring.

“I uh… Give me a yell if you need a hand or help or yeah” Kyle took a step back then another until he backed right out of the bathroom. He left the door open just an inch so he could hear if Alex called for him then he sank down on the bed and waited. 

Time ticked away as he waited until it was finally time to help him into bed. The effort it had taken on Alex seemed to have really drained him as he collapsed against the pillow. He caught Kyle’s hand and smiled up at him with a whispered ‘thanks’.

Kyle waited until Alex was asleep before jumping in the shower himself. Once dressed in sweats, he stepped into the main room and paused when he remembered there was only one bed in the room. He could sleep on the floor but that didn’t sound comfortable neither did the chairs at the table. It wasn’t overly late, he could go to reception and book a room for himself but if Alex woke up during the night and needed him then he wouldn’t know where to find him…

“Kyle?” Alex’s eyes were closed.

“Hmmmm?”

“What are you doing?”

“There’s only one bed”

“Are you that threatened in your masculinity that you think sharing a bed with me will have dire consequences?”

“What? No! I just… Wasn’t sure how you’d feel about it”

“About the fact we haven’t shared a bed since we were seven?”

“You know what I mean”

“Kyle, just shut up and come to bed”

It took everything in him to place one foot in front of the other, to move closer to the bed. His eyes were still focused on Alex’s closed ones yet once he was close enough Alex threw the covers back for him, welcoming him. He nervously licked his lips and cautiously climbed into bed, pulled the sheet over himself and switched off the light.

His heart was pounding and his body was oh so very aware of how close he was to Alex. Just last night he’d climbed onto the hospital bed without a second thought so why was this so awkward for him now? He lie flat on his back, just staring into the darkness and not moving a muscle.

Until Alex’s soft laughter reached his ears and he turned his head.

“I won’t bite” Alex chuckled “I promise… You don’t have to be scared of me”

“I’m not!” Kyle rolled onto his side, pretended he could see Alex’s beautiful face staring back at him “I’m not scared”

“Most guys probably would be”

“I’m not like most guys”

“I know”

Through the darkness he felt Alex’s hand on his; their fingers slowly entwined until they were actually holding hands. Neither of them said a word, they simply held onto each other until they both fell asleep.

***

Something hit his head which jerked him awake. Kyle opened his eyes and found the tissue box from the bathroom on his chest. He sat up and looked around in confusion.

“Damn you’re a deep sleeper” Alex stated.

Kyle gasped at seeing Alex on the floor.

“Alex!” He exclaimed as he leapt from the bed and hurried to his side. “What happened?”

“I tried to wake you” he replied “and you didn’t even flinch so I made it in there okay but…” Alex blushed.

Kyle reached out and slid his arms around him, gingerly helped Alex up only to slip and pull his body closer to his own. His morning erection pressed against Alex’s thigh and it was his turn to blush.

“It’s uh…” Kyle stammered.

“Normal” Alex finished “it’s okay”

Alex smiled politely then allowed Kyle to help him back to the bed. He reached for his phone then glanced up at Kyle.

“Good news, my prosthetic will be ready after lunch” he stated.

“That’s great” Kyle smiled “guess you won’t need me anymore”

“Sure I will; you haven’t jacked me off yet”

Kyle’s head jerked up and he looked at Alex with eyes wide open yet Alex was blushing now.

“I… uh… was… it was a joke, you know?” Alex stammered “last night when I was joking about you blowing my nose and…”

“No… I… I get it” he feigned a laugh as he moved towards the table, putting distance between them.

“Sorry… I guess I don’t have a great sense of humor”

“Sure you do; you can laugh at yourself falling down the stairs trying to get someone off”

“True…”

“Hey uh” Kyle stared down at his hands. “Was it worth it?”

“Was what worth it?” Alex wondered.

“The guy… the broken wrist?”

Alex shifted almost uncomfortably.

“Why would you ask me that?” 

“Just making conversation”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t be so defensive” Alex held his hands up in defeat. “I… I’m mad at myself for being so stupid”

“For being human, you mean?”

“Yeah, I guess”

“So…” Kyle decided to change the subject “do I need to go collect your leg or will they bring it to you?”

“We can probably go get it, I’ll text and find out”

*

The morning passed quickly enough even if Kyle did spend slightly longer than usual in the bathroom to avoid any more awkwardness between him and Alex. They ordered room service for a late breakfast then played a game of chess on Kyle’s tablet until it was time to go.

Kyle helped Alex to the car then into the office. Alex asked Kyle to accompany him as the repaired prosthetic was affixed to his leg.

Now free to move about again, Alex asked Kyle to lunch where they decided it best to stay another night before heading back to Roswell the following day. It was Kyle’s turn to ask Alex to accompany him somewhere and they ventured to a local museum for the afternoon.

They talked, laughed and possibly even flirted the entire time. It was absolutely glorious and made Kyle’s heart flutter every time Alex looked at him. He watched him out the corner of his eye, laughing to himself over how much this felt like a stereotypical teen movie date, right down to them stopping for ice cream and sharing popcorn in the back row of a crowded movie theatre.

After the movie they went for dinner at the hotel restaurant so they could both enjoy a drink or two. The waiter commented on what a lovely couple they made yet neither corrected him, both merely giggled after he walked away. When the check came out, they both reached for it at the same time then playfully argued over who would pay until Kyle relented then excused himself to go to the restroom. He stopped and paid the check on his way but didn’t tell Alex on his return. 

Needless to say, the soldier was annoyed at Kyle’s deception and insisted they adjourn to the bar for another drink. One became two, then three and so on until they finally called it a night. Alex paid the tab then they both staggered from the bar. Someone offered to call a cab for them but Kyle stated they were hotel guests and insisted they could get back to their room without help.

Arms around each other, they stumbled and giggled all the way to the elevator then to their floor. Both were giggling like teens as Kyle struggled to get the key from his wallet then promptly dropped it. He knelt down to pick it up, unlocked the door then proceeded to crawl on his knees into the room. Alex’s laughter merely encouraged him but once inside, all he could do was lean against the bed.

He watched as Alex closed the door then affixed the chain, removed his jacket and tossed it over the chair before sitting down.

“I think I’m wasted” Alex said.

“Me too”

“I can’t remember the last time I drank so much”

Kyle could only nod. Head against the bed, he merely observed Alex who was struggling to get his shirt off due to the bandage on his wrist. Shaking his head, Kyle told him he’d help then crawled over to him. He planted himself between Alex’s legs then got up onto his knees. His fingers were trembling as he gripped the base of Alex’s shirt and yanked it over his head.

“Thanks” Alex said as he took hold of Kyle’s hand and smiled at him.

“You need a hand with…?” He gently tapped his leg and Alex nodded. Kyle knew exactly what he was doing but he felt nervous as he stood up then helped Alex to his feet, guided him to the bed and reached out. Removing Alex’s prosthetic felt so intimate that his fingers were still trembling but once he was done Alex grinned at him and his heart skipped a beat.

He kicked off his shoes, shimmied out of his jeans and discarded his shirt before going into the bathroom for a glass of water. He grabbed one for Alex too but when he returned to the bed, his friend was already asleep. Kyle put the glass on the bedside table then gently eased Alex under the covers before climbing into bed himself.

The only light in the room was from the very dim lamp beside them so he could just make out Alex’s form next to him. He knew it was dumb and stupid but he couldn’t resist reaching over to gently stroke the man’s cheek. His fingers had barely touched the skin when Alex’s eyes flew open and they simply stared at each other. Kyle softly brushed his thumb across Alex’s skin as his heart thumped rapidly.

He shifted his body closer so he was practically on top of Alex, could feel the heat of his skin. Their naked chests were almost touching and Kyle just wanted to touch, taste, claim Alex for himself.

He swallowed nervously as Alex reached up and placed his hand over Kyle’s. Their eyes locked, both were breathing very heavily. When Alex’s tongue flickered across his lips, Kyle  _ knew _ he had to have a taste. The fake kiss from the hospital wasn’t enough to sustain his desire for his friend.

Kyle slowly leaned closer as Alex closed his eyes, lips parting in an unspoken invitation. His heart was racing until a very loud thump against the wall startled him and he stopped. Another loud thump made Alex sit up and they both looked at the wall behind the bed as the thumps grew louder and increased in frequency. This was immediately followed by cries of enjoyment.

Both Alex and Kyle looked at each other and immediately burst out laughing at the very vocal and enthusiastic couple having sex in the very next room.

“Wow, they are really going for it” Kyle stated.

“How much stamina you think he’s got?”

“Who knows? Should we time them or like hit the wall as a sign of encouragement?”

“No! You can’t interrupt them, it’ll ruin the moment and once it’s gone…”

Their eyes met as Alex’s words sunk in. Their moment had been interrupted.

“Yeah, you’re right” Kyle agreed “when it’s gone, it’s gone”

“Yeah”

They exchanged a nervous smile before Kyle shifted away and killed the lights. He lay down in bed, listened to the couple next door and wished for just a moment that could’ve been them.

“Uh… Good night, Alex” he whispered.

“Um, good night, Kyle” he replied.

But the couple were surprisingly noisy for a long time which meant the two men lay side by side, eavesdropping on the most awkward thing ever while Kyle kicked himself for almost crossing that imaginary line. Maybe Alex hadn’t noticed? He closed his eyes and tried not to think about his friend while secretly hoping Alex would reach for his hand again but that moment never came.

*

Kyle was up early with no sign of being hungover. He quietly slipped out of bed and into the bathroom for a quick shower; towel wrapped around himself he sneaked back into the room to grab his clothes and peered over his shoulder at his still sleeping friend. He shrugged, dropped the towel and quickly got dressed before grabbing his wallet and the room key then went for a walk. 

He purposely stayed out for a long time, uncertain how he was going to explain his actions to Alex. Twice now he’d been close to kissing him, been saved both times by well timed interruptions but it wasn’t right or fair on either of them. He couldn’t go on like this, being so close and not being with him… but it wasn’t exactly right for Alex either since he was still so in love with Michael and probably always would be. Kyle knew he could never compete with the level of feelings they had for each other… Alex was willing to  _ die _ at Michael’s side barely a month ago. He could still see the pain in his eyes even after this length of separation.

When he returned to the room, Alex was up and dressed and in the midst of packing his bag. Kyle smiled nervously in greeting but Alex simply flashed a wide smile and thanked him for the coffee he’d brought with him.

“So uh…” Kyle stammered.

“You okay?” Alex sounded confused.

“About last night…”

“Oh no… What did I do? Did I try to dance on the table again? Maria has had to stop me on multiple occasions”

“You don’t remember?”

“It’s… choppy… There was dancing involved, yeah?”

Kyle tried to laugh but even that memory hurt.

“Yeah, you danced with a lot of guys last night” he admitted. Alex winced.

“I’m sorry… Did uh that make you uncomfortable?”

“Me? No! You uh” he sighed “Alex, I love you for who you are and you being yourself doesn’t make me uncomfortable or awkward or anything okay?”

“Uh thank you, Kyle, for uh being so understanding”

He reached out and placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“I mean it, Alex… I know I was an absolute asshole to you in the past and if I could take it all back I would but I can’t. All I can say is that I’m not that guy anymore and you will always have my support”

“I know” Alex smiled “that you’re not like that anymore and your friendship means the world to me right now”

Friendship. That was the key word here. They were in the process of repairing that relationship and Kyle didn’t want to do anything to risk destroying it again. He’d screwed up in the past but he wasn’t going to lose Alex again.

“So uh how uh did you wanna do this?” Kyle asked him.

“Do what?” Alex frowned.

“Uh… going home?”

“I uh didn’t know there were options…?”

“Oh I uh” Kyle coughed and cleared his throat “it’s a long drive and with your leg and arm… uh… would you prefer I drop you at the airport or…?”

“You trying to get rid of me?”

“What? No! I uh just wasn’t sure if… how… uh… your plans…”

“I thought we were driving back in your car…?”

“Well I didn’t want to presume and did you already have a flight or anything?”

“No” he shook his head “it was a one way flight since we didn’t know how long the assignment would be”

“So you uh you’re up for nine hours trapped in a car with me?”

“After two days in a hotel room, what’s another few hours?”

They collected their stuff then headed to the lobby and returned the key. Kyle took their luggage to the car while Alex went into the restaurant. A quick breakfast and they were on the road with the radio blaring as they traveled along. Both were laughing, giggling and singing along at the top of their lungs. It was a nice distraction as Kyle didn’t know how exactly to make small talk without bringing up the one thing that was on his mind… how badly he wanted to kiss Alex.

He reasoned now may actually be the best time to bring it up and clear the air since he had to focus on the road and not on Alex plus they were in a moving vehicle so there was no way out for either of them but no, he couldn’t do it. Though he couldn’t resist sneaking the occasional look at his friend and he noticed when Alex began to wince. Kyle’s immediate reflex was to pull over as they were very close to Lordsburg. He didn’t say anything as he pulled off the main road.

“We’re stopping?” Alex sounded confused as he looked around.

“Well we missed lunch… it’s almost three” Kyle replied “and your leg-”

“I’m fine”

“No, you’re not”

“Kyle-”

“Alex… I’m a Doctor… You should listen to me”

“I know my body, I know my limits”

“And you’re recently injured; you need to rest” 

“What do you think I’m doing in this car?”

“Just shut up and come have lunch with me”

“First you take me to dinner, you bring me coffee and now you’re inviting me to lunch… Why Kyle Valenti, I do believe you’re trying to seduce me”

Kyle stumbled as he made to climb out of the car. His face flushed and he hastily looked away, took a deep breath before turning and leaning back into the car.

“Are you suggesting the way to your heart is with food?” he asked “because Guerin doesn’t strike me as the cooking type” 

The very mention of Michael caused a mask to appear on Alex’s face as his expression instantly hardened. Kyle immediately mentally kicked himself at his own stupidity. Things were going to be very difficult between them if Kyle couldn’t even mention his ex’s name but he understood too. 

“His airstream doesn’t even have a kitchen” Alex replied, very deadpanned.

“So you were just always in a constant state of hunger?” Kyle asked.

“Well… Food never was high on our priority list when we were around each other”

Kyle leaned back, closed the car door and hurried around to the passenger side where he opened the door for Alex but didn’t offer to assist him from the car. He stepped back and allowed Alex to climb out himself.

“For  _ that _ , lunch is on you today” Kyle said with a wink.

“Burger King or McDonalds?” Alex replied.

“You seriously think there’s one of those around here?” 

“Are you suggesting I’m a cheapskate?”

“Or a tightass”

Alex smirked, leaned closer to Kyle and whispered in his ear.

“Well” he whispered “I  _ am _ rather...  _ versatile _ ”

Kyle swallowed back any response he was tempted to give and closed his eyes to compose himself. When Alex pulled away, he was smirking to himself so Kyle shook his head and playfully hit his shoulder.

“I do  _ not _ need to hear about your sex life” Kyle joked.

“Or lack thereof” Alex muttered.

They moved away from the car and both immediately started laughing when they saw the golden arches of Mcdonalds. Both giggled like kids until Kyle reached for Alex’s uninjured arm and urged him to continue further along the road.

“Just uh thought you might want to stretch your legs a bit” Kyle said to him.

“Aren’t you hungry though?”

“Food can wait” Kyle said with a shrug. “And we’re  _ not _ eating there”

Alex smiled gratefully and looped his arm through Kyle’s as they continued along the street, checking out potential places to eat. Kyle held the door open and ushered Alex inside where they were shown to a table by the window. While Alex looked over the menu, Kyle excused himself to use the bathroom. He washed his face and took several calming breaths.

As he made his way back to the table and Alex, he saw his friend tucking his phone back in his pocket and wondered if he should say anything.

“My mom sent another text” Kyle said to him.

He pushed his phone across the table and Alex peered at the photo of his beagle.

“She’s probably forgotten who I am by now” Alex replied.

“I call dibs then” Kyle insisted.

“Kyle, you’re not keeping my dog”

“Well if she doesn’t want you anymore”

“I will fight you for her”

“I think I can take you”

“Unfair advantage… You have full use of both arms and both legs”

“Guess we’ll just have to let her decide then”

Alex laughed as he shook his head, plucked a fry from Kyle’s plate and practically deepthroated it. Kyle shifted in his seat and reached for his drink, peered out the window for a distraction. The sky was black with clouds and a bolt of lightning lit up the surrounding area.

“Whoa” Kyle gasped “when did  _ that _ happen?”

“Storm’s coming from the looks of it” Alex added. “You reckon we’ll make it back before it hits?”

Kyle looked at his watch. 

“Not likely” he admitted “we’ve another five hours at least to go and that storm’s pretty close”

“Guess we’re staying another night, huh?”

“I uh I’ll call the server over and ask directions to the nearest hotel”

“No, best hotel… my shout”

“You paid for the last one”

“No, the Air Force paid for that… not me”

“Same difference”

“Well… We can always splurge and get two rooms”

The server appeared and offered to refill their drinks. Kyle didn’t want another but agreed anyway just for the distraction. He looked at Alex who was once again stealing fries from Kyle’s plate. He reached out, grabbed Alex’s arm to stop him then stole the fry from his grasp.

“Hey!” Alex exclaimed.

“They’re my fries” Kyle hissed.

“That I’m paying for, remember?”

“Are you going to be like this every time we go out to eat together?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders “guess it depends how often you ask me out then insist I pay for it”

“Fair enough”

Alex laughed and Kyle frowned as Alex reached up and brushed his thumb across Kyle’s mouth.

“You had ketchup on your lip,” he explained as he held his thumb up for him to see.

“Uh… thanks”

Alex wiped his hand on the napkin.

“Are you okay?” He asked “you seem distracted”

“I’m fine” Kyle insisted. “Just worried about that storm. Do you think it’s gonna hit Roswell?”

“Probably in a couple of hours”

“What if she gets scared? She’s just a puppy”

Alex smiled to himself but Kyle decided he didn’t care. He didn’t like the idea of Candy being scared in an unfamiliar place.

“Maybe we  _ should _ try to beat the storm” Kyle suggested.

“Kyle, we are  _ not _ getting ourselves killed by trying to drive through an electrical storm” Alex insisted.

“Well… someone doesn’t deserve the love of an adorable puppy”

Alex grabbed his arm and Kyle looked up at him.

“She’ll be fine” Alex assured him “I trust your mother to care for her… you should too”

“No, I do” Kyle replied. “I do!”

“You wanna call her and check in when we get to the hotel?”

“No… Yes”

Alex laughed and Kyle smiled guiltily.

After they finished their meals and drinks, Alex pulled out his phone to search local hotels but Kyle made his way to the counter to ask for suggestions. He explained about Alex’s disability and the server told him the best place to stay. When Kyle returned and told him what he’d learned, Alex held up his phone with the same information.

Alex paid the bill and they took their leave, were making their way back to Kyle’s car when the heavens opened. Within seconds they were soaked to the core. Kyle unlocked the car and they leaped inside then sat with the heat blasting for several minutes.

Alex’s teeth were already chattering as he hugged himself in an attempt to warm up. Kyle looked from Alex to the windscreen and decided it was worth trying to drive the short distance to the hotel. He started the car and very slowly drove the few blocks. He instructed Alex to wait in the car then hurried inside to see if they had an available room. He explained about Alex’s prosthetic and was told he was in luck as there was a room that also happened to have a king sized bed.

Kyle took the key and hurried back to fetch Alex. He grabbed their bags from the trunk and the two ran through the still pouring rain to the entrance.

Up to the room they went and the second they were inside, Kyle immediately kicked off his shoes and began to strip off his sopping wet clothes. 

“Don’t want you catching a cold” he said to Alex “hurry up and take your clothes off”

“First you take me to lunch and now you’re trying to get me naked?” Alex joked.

Kyle looked at him with an unamused expression. Alex peeled off his jacket and hung it up in the closet.

“You wanna take first shower?” Kyle asked him. 

“No, it’s fine, you go” Alex replied.

By now Kyle was clad only in his underwear and he was shivering almost as much as Alex. He hurried into the shower and turned the hot water on. Kyle tried to be quick as he didn’t want to leave the shivering Alex alone too long. Towel around him, he returned to the main room to find Alex half naked on the bed only mildly shivering.

“All yours” Kyle said to him.

“Th… Thanks” Alex whispered.

Kyle dressed quickly then peered outside. The sky was still dark, rain still falling, thunder boomed in the distance. He closed the curtains and sank down on the bed until he heard Alex call out to him. Kyle made his way into the bathroom and found Alex sitting on the shower floor. He hurriedly turned the water off then handed a towel to him.

“Thanks” Alex sighed “I slipped and couldn’t get back up”

Kyle helped him up onto the shower bench and Alex covered himself with the towel.

“Oh Kyle, your shirts all wet” Alex said to him.

“It’s okay, I have more”

He grabbed another towel and wrapped it around Alex, gently attempting to dry him. A loud clap of thunder caused them both to jump in shock and a moment later the entire room was plunged into darkness. They both paused, waited a moment for the lights to come back on. They didn’t.

Kyle pulled Alex into his arms then carefully navigated from the bathroom to the bed. He felt around for his phone and activated the flashlight which immediately illuminated Alex’s naked body.

“Dude! Privacy!” Alex called out.

Kyle killed the light and apologized, thankful the darkness covered his embarrassment. He made his way into the bathroom, took off his wet shirt and collected Alex’s prosthetic which he brought out and placed on the chair.

There was a knock at the door so Kyle answered it. A brief conversation with the hotel manager and he was on his way. Kyle placed the candle he’d been given on the table then lit it.

“Romantic” Alex joked.

“Totally” Kyle replied. “Manager said lightning hit the backup generator so we’ll be without power for a while”

“Oh, okay”

“They uh offered to let us check out at no cost and move elsewhere but…”

“We’re fine here”

“Exactly”

Kyle checked his watch, it was barely five in the afternoon. He scooped up his tablet then joined Alex on the bed.

“Wanna watch Die Hard?”

*

When the movie finished, Kyle looked down at Alex’s head resting upon his shoulder in a repeat of how they’d slept in the very narrow hospital bed. This now marked the fourth night in a row they’d shared a bed and this night hadn’t even begun. He carefully checked the time and reasoned it was too early to call it a night but the power was still out so there wasn’t much else to do.

He quietly put his tablet aside then gently shook Alex to wake him.

“Hey, Manes?” Kyle whispered. “Manes? If you sleep now then you’ll be awake all night”

“Shhhhh” Alex murmured, his eyes still closed “I’m comfortable”

Kyle reached up and softly ran his fingers through Alex’s hair.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to keep you awake”

“I am awake”

“Your eyes are closed”

“No they’re not”

“They are!”

“Kyle, there’s no power and no heat and nothing else to do; can’t you just let me sleep?”

“Having a nice dream were you?”

He knew it was wrong to ask but Alex’s body was pressed against his and he could feel the results of Alex’s dream very prominently against his thigh.

“Sorry” Alex breathed and immediately rolled over, placed some distance between their bodies. Kyle reached for him, placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder.

“It’s okay” Kyle whispered “you don’t have to be embarrassed”

“Guess Bruce Willis just does it for me” Alex joked.

“So it’s not just angry cowboys you’re into then?”

“I uh don’t think I have a type… not really”

“Because you’ve only ever had eyes for Guerin?”

“Kyle” Alex rolled back over as though trying to see him through the dimly lit room. The candle on the table had practically burnt itself out. 

“I get it, you still don’t wanna talk about him”

“Michael was the first guy who ever made me feel… happy… We had one amazing afternoon together and my dad ruined it”

“I’m sorry your dad was a jerk”

“He was good to you though... You were the kind of son he’d be proud to call his own”

“Until I put him in a coma anyway”

“Look at us… we’re both train wrecks”

“Tell me about it”

They both fell silent, just listening to the storm which was still blowing a gale outside.

“You really expect me to believe you haven’t been on a date in two years?” Alex suddenly asked him.

“It’s the truth!” Kyle insisted.

“Was it  _ that _ bad?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was the date that awful that it turned you off dating?”

“No… It just… Wasn’t exactly what I was expecting”

“What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know” Kyle paused. Now was the time to say something… His date had been fine but he’d been nervous since it was the first time he’d said yes to dinner with a guy so he’d spent the entire night in a weird state of panic, convinced he was going to say or do the wrong thing.

“Too much pressure?” Alex asked him “you uh put too much pressure on yourself?”

“Something like that” he tried to sound nonchalant “he was a nice guy but there was no spark; you know?” 

That got Alex’s attention. He sat up, eyes wide in shock as he started to playfully hit every part of Kyle he could reach.

“Do. Not. Joke. About. Shit. Like. That. With. Me” he emphasized each word with a well placed slap.

“I’m not joking” Kyle confessed. “A nurse asked me out, he was a nice enough guy and I said yes”

“Why?”

“Because of you”

“Me?”

“When I was doing my residency, I saw a fair amount of beat up kids… some beaten by bullies, some by their own parents… just for being gay… and whenever I saw one of these frightened kids, it made me think of he way I treated you and I guess it was a weird way of trying to make amends”

“And did it?”

“I don’t know… I mean, Alex... I had no idea what your father did to you, to Guerin; I knew he was a hardass but I never once thought he was violent… My reaction to these hurt teenagers was ‘that  _ could’ve _ been Alex’ but I never realized just how close it was to being you”

“My dad was careful and calculating; he never left bruises where people could see them. Your dad was the only one who ever figured it out”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t do more to help you”

“He did what he could and that’s all that really matters to me”

“I could’ve been better”

“You were a kid; you wanted to fit it… it’s all any of us ever wanted… and I think that’s what drew me and Michael together. We both felt like outcasts; searching for somewhere to fit in, to belong… and for a moment, I allowed myself to believe that we could belong together”

“I’m so sorry”

Alex reached up and hastily wiped his eyes.

“It’s not your fault, Kyle” Alex whispered “these things just happen”

“You’re never going to stop loving him, are you?” Kyle asked as he reached for Alex’s hand.

“I don’t… don’t know”

“I uh heard you at the hospital, talking to Markham about him… how when you look at him you see two different people… the one you fell in love with in high school and the one who broke your heart”

“That’s not exactly what I was saying-”

Alex trailed off when Kyle’s phone began to ring. They both looked around for it and Kyle jumped up to answer the video call from his mother. She took one look at his semi naked appearance and immediately apologized for interrupting. He assured her everything was fine then explained how they’d stopped for a bite, got caught in the storm and were staying the night.

Kyle moved to sit down on the edge of the bed and Alex slowly crawled up behind him, rested his head on his shoulder to peer at the screen. Kyle’s mother was pointing the camera towards the small beagle curled up beside her.

“Is she okay?” Kyle asked, concerned.

“She’s fine sweetheart” she assured him “see?”

She held the phone up for him to see her again.

“Seriously dude the concern you have for my dog is concerning to me” Alex whispered in his ear. Kyle playfully punched him.

“Well I guess I’ll check in with you boys later or in the morning”

“See you tomorrow mom”

“Goodnight sheriff”

Kyle ended the call and turned his phone off to save the battery then he got up and placed it on the table. The candle had almost completely burnt out so he blew it out as another boom of thunder shook the walls.

“Kyle?” Alex whispered. He voice barely audible over the rain lashing against the window. “Will you come back to bed? Please?”

He’d never realized how much he longed to hear Alex say those words to him. Under other circumstances obviously but Kyle kept his cool and moved back across the room, climbed onto the bed then crawled up to the pillows. The bed itself was huge so there was no reason for them to be so close together aside from them  _ wanting _ to be. Alex’s nervous tone was what made him reach for his friend and pull him into his arms.

Kyle had one arm around Alex’s shoulder and he urged him to move closer so they were practically pressed together. He could feel Alex’s body trembling against his.

“When I was… after my dad…” Alex started “once he knew the truth about me… he looked for any reason to punish me. One night, there was a storm like this and I was looking for a distraction. I went online and found a video of two guys kissing then I… started touching myself… my dad came into my room and caught me, literally with my pants down and he… hit me so hard that I almost passed out… then he locked me, half naked, in the backyard while the storm just got worse… It took me an hour to break into the tool shed but that was also when it became my refuge; it started as shelter from a storm but became the one place I felt safe from him until one day I didn’t”

“You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Alex… not of him, not of the storm, not of those awful memories” Kyle whispered to him “he’s not here; he’s never going to be”

“Every time I try to have something for me… to make  _ me _ feel good… it just… doesn’t work out”

“Alex-”

“Jacking off in my room? Thrown outside during a storm; sex in the toolshed? Threatened and guys hand smashed to pieces; attempting a secret blowjob on base? Falling down the stairs to earn a broken wrist”

“I thought you said you were jacking the guy?”

“I uh I was but I’d just lowered his pants so I  _ could _ suck him off when…” Alex paused “y’know?”

Alex’s confession tore right through Kyle’s heart. All he wanted to do was show Alex that things  _ could _ be good for him, that he did deserve to be loved, that not all experiences would be tainted. His fingers were still in Alex’s hair, the room was dark so it wasn’t like they could see each other or be embarrassed. 

He probably should’ve asked first but he didn’t. Kyle merely brought his other hand up and placed it upon Alex’s naked chest then he slowly brushed his thumb across his nipple.

Maybe Alex thought it was an accident because he didn’t say anything so Kyle did it again and heard a small gasp from Alex’s lips. His breath tickled Kyle’s neck but he merely smiled then gently moved his hand lower, past Alex’s navel to his abdomen as he shifted his own body lower so he was resting his head on Alex’s pillow. His body was still trembling beneath Kyle’s touch. He knew he needed to say something but words simply failed him; he couldn’t believe he was  _ actually _ caressing Alex.

The soft, gentle touch of his hand seemed to be having the desired effect for after a few quiet moments, Alex’s body stopped shaking once he shifted ever so closer to Kyle. Through the darkness their hands touched, fingers entwined so Kyle brought them up to his face and softly kissed the back of Alex’s palm.

“What are you doing?” Alex’s voice was barely audible over the rain.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time” Kyle confessed “to make you _feel_ _good_”

He leaned closer, buried his face in Alex’s neck and softly kissed the exposed skin of his clavicle. Kyle used his lips and his tongue to map every inch of Alex’s neck and shoulder while listening to the beautiful moans that escaped his lips. He allowed Alex to guide his hand where  _ he _ wanted it to be, down his toned chest. Kyle’s fingers once again brushed against Alex’s abdomen then nudged the waistband of his underwear.

He didn’t press his luck quite so quickly though and opted to leave his hand on top of Alex’s clothes. His brain was shouting to stop at the first sign of hesitation from his friend.

Kyle scraped his teeth across the skin of Alex’s neck while ghosting his hand over the growing bulge in his pants. He heard Alex’s breath hitch, felt the nervous swallow in his throat as he kissed just below his Adams apple and Alex arched his back, raised his hips to nudge against Kyle’s lingering hand.

Alex’s breath shook until Kyle lowered his hand, grasped him through the thin layer of his clothing and slowly began to rub his palm against the material.

Alex gasped again which quickly merged into a quiet moan which Kyle felt right down to his bones. He couldn’t believe  _ he _ was the reason Alex was making these gorgeous sounds that he never wanted to stop hearing. He continued lavishing Alex’s neck with gentle kisses while increasing the amount of friction between his legs, urging his friend to make  _ more _ beautiful gasps.

He never once ceased his treatment of Alex’s neck but he wasn’t prepared to venture higher. As much as he craved the taste of his sensual lips, Kyle couldn’t cross that line. This wasn’t about what  _ he _ wanted, it was about making this good for Alex and given the way Alex was thrusting into his touch he was certain he was enjoying this.

“Please?” Alex moaned.

Kyle smiled, reached further between Alex’s legs to cup his balls and continued to tease him through his underwear. His long fingers massaged his sacks and caused Alex’s breath to hitch. He stroked and teased him as his own heart roared with delight at eliciting this much pleasure upon his friend. Kyle sank his teeth into Alex’s neck and the soldier moaned, bucked his hips and thrust into Kyle’s eager grasp.

He licked the freshly made teeth marks on Alex’s skin as he pressed his finger inside and drew a loud groan from Alex’s lips.

“Please? Please?” Alex cried.

It was all the encouragement he needed; Kyle shifted his hand and plunged it inside Alex’s underwear, nudged it down to free his rock hard cock. He couldn’t see anything in the darkened room but he could feel Alex’s body and his excitement and it was enough. When his fingers found the hard flesh of Alex’s cock, he bit down on his lip to hold back a groan of his own as he nuzzled his face against his neck.

He teased the length of Alex’s erect cock for a few beats before slipped his fingers lower and rubbed his balls.

“Uh” Alex breathed “ohhhhh”

His fingertip teased the tight ring of Alex’s hole then slowly, almost painfully slowly, edged deep inside.

“You uh…” Alex’s voice hitched “uh… know what uh what you’re doing down there?”

“Trust me” Kyle whispered in his ear “I’m a Doctor”

Being a Doctor meant he knew exactly where the body’s pleasure centres were  _ and _ how to tease them, to get the  _ best _ results. He’d never heard anything as lovely as the moans spewing from Alex’s lips; couldn’t resist whispering in his ear.

“I knew you were a tight ass” he edged his finger in further while Alex’s body practically vibrated beneath his touch.

Kyle buried his face in Alex’s neck, placed kisses upon his skin and along his jaw yet he still avoided his lips; leaving Alex’s mouth free to make all kinds of delectable sounds which sent shivers down his spine. God, everything about Alex was  _ perfect _ . How could anyone ever let him go? He wished their loss was his gain but he could never tell Alex the truth. Could never tell him he was in love with him, that what they were doing was more than he could ever hope for, dream of. 

He wrapped his arm around Alex’s shoulders and pulled him close, naked chests pressed together, his lips still lavishing his neck and his other hand still prodding and teasing his hole. Kyle couldn’t stop thinking what it would feel like to completely claim him for himself. His own cock was aching but he ignored his pleasure. This was all about Alex. 

Kyle wasn’t sure if Alex was attempting to reach him for his hand was trapped between them yet he didn’t try to break free. His other, injured arm was safely resting on a pillow, out of harm's way.

“I thought you uh were… ohhhh… joking” Alex gasped “about… about jerking me off”

“I’m sorry it’s not in a shower” Kyle breathed in his ear.

Alex jerked his hips and Kyle heard his attempt to bite back a cry. He was sure that meant he was close so he slowly extracted his fingers and fisted his rock hard cock then whispered it was okay to let go. Alex understood for he bucked his hips into Kyle’s firm grasp, fucking his closed fist while Kyle licked and nipped and teased his neck.

“Oh God!” Alex cried. “Oh… Ohhhh….”

Kyle held him close, face pressed into his neck to ride out his orgasm with him.

“Ah… I…” Alex gasped and moaned “Ohhhh… God…. Guerin!”

Michael’s name came out as a breathless moan as his seed spilled forth from his cock and coated Kyle’s fist. The room was still pitch dark, Alex was struggling for breath but the name echoed in both their ears.

“I’m sorry” Alex whispered. “Kyle, I… I’m sorry”

“It’s fine” Kyle was thankful the power was out. “It’s… Fine”

Kyle threw the sheet off him, slid off the bed and stumbled through the dark into the bathroom where he kicked the door shut even though neither of them could see the other. The last thing he wanted was for the lights to come back on right now. He felt his way to the basin, turned the water on and shoved his hands underneath the stream in a bid to wash away all traces of what they’d just done. Kyle looked up and tried to picture what his reflection looked like right now but he couldn’t see anything through the darkness or his own tears that were silently streaming down his face.

He washed his hands repeatedly until he couldn’t feel them anymore then splashed water over his face to hide the tracks of his tears then he just stood there, unsure of what else to do.

The water no longer running, he could now hear Alex’s worried voice through the closed door but he forced himself to ignore it. He couldn’t face him after that yet he was now trapped in the bathroom in the dark with very mixed feelings. 

Alex finally stopped trying to get his attention so he simply leaned against the closed door and took several deep breaths. 

He knew he couldn’t stay in there all night so he drew one final breath and very slowly released it before he very quietly opened the door, stepped into the room.

“Kyle, I’m sorry” Alex’s voice came from the direction of the bed. He sounded as upset as Kyle felt. 

He carefully navigated his way around the room until he reached the table, felt around for his wallet and keys. He grabbed his jacket but didn’t say a word as he moved to the door, opened it and slipped out. Alex called out to him but Kyle just walked away.

Once out in the hall, he stopped and tried to collect himself. He pulled his jacket on over his sweatpants and stretched his toes, aware he wasn’t wearing any shoes. The hall was dimly lit with well placed battery operated lamps so he followed them to reception where two staff members were playing cards by the light of a portable lantern.

One apologized for the power outage while the other enquired if they could help with anything. Kyle merely asked if they could deal him into their game, didn’t miss the look they exchanged yet they both shrugged and reshuffled the cards. The three played several hands until he looked up, saw them still exchanging pointed looks.

“What?” he asked with a sigh. “Come on, just ask already”

“Nagging wife?” the older gentleman enquired.

“I’m here with a friend” Kyle replied.

“Did you have an… a disagreement?” the younger staffer asked.

“Something like that… I uh don’t really wanna talk about it”

They took the hint and changed the subject; Kyle told them the basics. Where he was from, what he did, why he was in Lordsburg of all places. Both employees were friendly and helped him pass the time but his mind was back in the room with Alex. He felt bad for the way he’d walked out on his friend; it hadn’t been Alex’s fault, hadn’t been anyone’s fault; these things  _ could  _ happen and he was certain Alex felt bad about it but he wasn’t ready to go back and talk.

When the older member left with a flashlight to check the lamps in the halls, the other turned to Kyle.

“Your friend hasn’t come looking for you?” he asked him. Kyle eyed his name badge.

“Well, Mateo, he’s probably not gonna” he replied.

“So who was in the wrong?”

“Both… Neither… Like I said, I don’t wanna talk about it”

“Maybe you just need to kiss and make up?”

Kyle’s eyes shot up and he looked at Mateo who was grinning at him.

“I’m not blind, your friend is hot” he added with a wink.

“I know” Kyle sighed as he threw the cards aside. “I know”

“Are you into him? Did you kiss him? Is that why you’re out here?”

“No, I definitely didn’t kiss him… Thanks for the game” 

He got to his feet, pulled his jacket back around him and quietly walked away. He passed the other staff member on his way back to his room but he continued along the hall, not quite ready to go back just yet. Kyle couldn’t walk forever though, the storm was still blowing and he started wondering if Alex was okay… He’d been nervous about the storm and the memories it stirred up. He cursed to himself, turned on his heel and started back to the room.

The door opened at his touch, the door locks clearly not working due to the power outage. He stepped into the room but didn’t hear a sound; he’d half expected Alex to start hounding him.

Kyle removed his jacket and placed everything on the table, steeled himself then moved towards the bed. He pulled back the sheet and climbed under the covers, silently relieved to believe Alex was asleep and impressed that he'd managed to nod off given howling storm outside. Kyle nervously reached for him to assure himself that Alex was okay yet the bed was empty. He felt around the large, king bed but it was definitely empty.

“Alex?” Kyle called out.

“Kyle?”

Alex’s voice was low, far away and Kyle’s heart ached. 

“Alex?” he called again. “Are you in the bathroom?”

“Yeah” his voice sounded defeated. “Can uh can you help me? Please?”

“What do you need?”

“My prosthetic?”

“Fuck”

Kyle leapt from the bed, ran to the table and knocked everything off it as he searched for his phone. He turned it on and activated the flashlight before hurrying into the bathroom where he, once again, found Alex huddled on the floor.

“I didn’t know where you put it” Alex explained “and I didn’t think it was far so I kinda just… hopped in here but then I got turned around and wasn’t sure where the door was…”

“Alex, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left you like that”

“It’s fine, Kyle; you just forgot… Sometimes I forget too and I try to stand up and…” he paused “I just wanted to get cleaned up and…”

Kyle didn’t want things to be awkward between them, didn’t want Alex to think things had changed. His friend needed his help so he was going to help, it’s what he was doing here in the first place. Kyle handed his phone to Alex so he could shine the light for him then he slid his arms underneath his body and pulled him into his arms. He carried Alex to the bed and deposited him upon the mattress, took his phone back then fetched the prosthetic and placed it next to the bed within arms reach for Alex.

As he stood back up, Alex reached out and grabbed his hand, smiled up at him.

“Thank you, Kyle” he whispered “thank you”

*

The power came back on around 1am but Alex and Kyle were both wide awake. Since his stomach was rumbling, Kyle got up and threw some clothes at Alex and declared they were going in search of food. They walked through reception, Kyle received a knowing look from Mateo but he waved him off and followed Alex to the car. He drove around for fifteen minutes, searching for any restaurant that had reopened since the storm and they ended up at Dennys.

They didn’t talk about what had happened between them. Neither of them  _ wanted _ to make things awkward so both essentially decided to act like nothing was wrong. Kyle stole a taste of Alex’s milkshake while Alex stole his fries. They laughed and joked and Kyle tried not to think about what it felt like to touch and taste his friend. The cry of Michael’s name still fresh in his ears but he plastered on a smile and pretended everything was okay.

It was after three am when they finally made it back to the room. They stripped down to their underwear and crawled into bed, both tired and full of food. Kyle turned off the light, plunged the room back into familiar darkness and he  _ still  _ found himself reaching for Alex who didn’t hesitate to slide into his arms. 

When morning broke, they were still wrapped tightly around each other. Kyle drove them to McDonalds for breakfast and they shared a private laugh. A cheap and fast meal before they were on the road again.

The drive from Lordsburg to Roswell was five hours. They spent those five hours  _ not  _ talking about the previous night; they talked about anything and everything else plus singing or sometimes even screaming along with the radio. Kyle thought it would be a painfully long drive but time slipped away so easily around Alex that it felt like no time at all before he started seeing the familiar landmarks outside of town. Despite the elephant in the car, Kyle wasn’t ready for their road trip to be over.

“So uh is there anywhere in town you’d like me to take you first?” Kyle asked when they reached the town limits.

“No, you uh can just take me home and I can take my car out” Alex replied as he stared down at his hands and picked at the edge of his bandage.

“Wait, where  _ is _ your car”

“In the garage” 

“At your house?”

“Obviously”

“How did I not know that? Dude, I literally spent a week on your couch, how did I not see your car?”

“Well, did you actually go  _ into _ the garage?”

“Uh… No”

“There you go”

Kyle turned into Alex’s street and the first thing he saw was Michael’s truck.

“Shit” he muttered. He turned to look at Alex who was also staring at the truck. “I uh can keep driving?”

“No, I uh I should probably talk to him” 

“I’ll come back later”

“You don’t have to-”

“My mom still has your dog… I’ll go pick her up and bring her to you”

“Thanks, Kyle”

He continued down the street and pulled over but didn’t get out of the car, simply popped the trunk. Kyle watched in the mirror as Alex made his way to the trunk and pulled out his bags then he moved to the driver’s side. He lowered the window and looked up at Alex.

“Thank you, for everything Kyle” Alex said to him.

“Anytime, Alex… anytime” he replied but his eyes were focused over his shoulder at Michael who was slowly approaching.

Kyle started the car and drove away. He didn’t look in the mirror, didn’t want to see the star crossed lovers happily reunited. The idea hurt just too much.

***** 

Kyle was sitting on his mother’s couch, taking selfies with Candy and hugging her protectively while his mother watched from the other room and shook her head. He didn’t expect her to understand his attachment to the puppy nor his reluctance to return her to Alex. Although his main argument right now for not heading to Alex’s place was that he was afraid of what he’d find. 

In his mind, he could so easily imagine Alex falling back into Michael’s arms and just getting hurt again. He understood  _ why  _ Alex was so drawn to him. Guerin was the first boy who’d ever shown any interest in him, the first boy he’d ever kissed, ever loved. Kyle got it… He still felt the same way about Liz. She’d been his first love; he’d lost his virginity to her and she would always hold a special place in his heart that no girl (or guy) could ever compete with. It was clearly the same for Alex with Michael.

As he sat on the couch, puppy in his arms, he thought back over the past few days and what it had been like to be with Alex 24/7. Everything just flowed so easily; there was just something about  _ Alex  _ that put him at ease. Being around him, taking care of him, helping him, none of it had been a chore or a hindrance. A part of him hated that he wished there’d been complications or issues to keep them away longer. Now that he was back home, he had to return to a life that didn’t include sharing a bed with Alex or his beagle.

“You’re my best girl” Kyle whispered as he held her face close to his “and I’m going to miss you so much… But I promise I’ll come visit, a lot”

He checked his watch and hoped, prayed, two hours was long enough for Alex and Michael to have reconciled, had make up sex and for Michael to have left because the last thing he wanted right now was a face to face with Guerin. Kyle reluctantly collected her up, said goodbye to his mother and started towards the front door.

“Kyle, sweetheart?” his mother called.

“Yeah mom?”

“Did something happen over the last few days? Did you and Alex have another falling out?”

“What? No!”

“I just… Haven’t seen you this down in a long time” she paused “not since the last time you two stopped being friends”

“That’s not going to happen again, mom, I swear. I’m not going to lose him again, ever”

“Kyle-”

“We were kids and I was a dumbass but I won’t make the same mistake twice. Alex is my best friend and nothing will change that ever again… I won’t let it”

A knock at the door as he was about to open it confused him. Kyle reached for the handle and opened it to find Alex on the front step.

“Alex!” Michelle called over Kyle’s shoulder. “We were just talking about you”

“Hi Sheriff” Alex greeted her.

But Candy had recognized her owner and was clawing at Kyle to get to him. Alex laughed and reached for her, easily scooped her from Kyle’s arms and hugged her to his chest. Kyle could only stare as she smothered his face with kisses. A sharp pain shot through him as he remembered kissing Alex’s neck.

“Thank you for taking care of her” Alex said to Kyle then called out to his mother before turning back to Kyle “and thank you for taking care of me”

“You’re welcome”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment.

“I should probably go” Alex said “I’m sure you’re well and truly sick of me by now”

When Kyle didn’t argue, Alex merely nodded then turned and started to walk away. He watched him walk down the drive to his car before calling out and running down the front walk after him.

“Why did you really put me?” Kyle asked once he reached him.

“What?” Alex frowned.

“Your emergency contact… Why did you really pick me?”

“Kyle-”

“I know you said you couldn’t choose Maria… so why me?”

Alex sighed; he leaned into the car and clipped Candy into the seatbelt before closing the car door and turned to look at Kyle. He took a step closer and reached up, placed his hand on his shoulder and held his gaze.

“Because you’re always there for me when I need you” Alex replied “sometimes even when I don’t realize I do… This past year, my life has turned upside down and I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through it, without you by my side”

“Michael’s not happy with Maria” Kyle blurted out. “I saw them… several times, and they were arguing… I know you said you want him, them, to be happy and that she could make him… happy… but he’s not… and I should’ve told you that sooner but I didn’t and I’m telling you now…”

Kyle didn’t wait for a response, he simply turned on his heel and ran back inside. He didn’t once look back, couldn’t bare the thought of watching Alex drive away from him and straight to Michael’s arms.

***** 

Kyle’s house felt eerily quiet and empty now that he was there all alone with no puppy for company. Even his phone was silent. It had been the entire time Alex was away but it was different now. For weeks he’d been compulsively checking for word from his friend but he’d had Candy to distract him, to keep him company. He walked into his bedroom and could swear he could see the small imprint on the pillow where her head had rested.

It was ridiculous to miss her as much as he did but it wasn’t just the cute beagle he was missing right now, he pined just as she had for her gorgeous owner. For several nights, he’d shared a bed with Alex and just last night he’d held him so close in his embrace that he now felt like a piece of himself was missing. He was so far gone that it was almost pathetic. It didn’t help that he’d practically pushed him back to Michael’s waiting arms.

He could envision the two of them in Michael’s cramped airstream, bodies entwined, could hear Alex crying out Michael’s name on a constant loop in his brain… 

But that meant his sweet, beautiful girl was all alone at Alex’s house!

Kyle couldn’t stand the idea of her being alone so he grabbed his keys and ran outside to his car. He didn’t even stop to think about it until he pulled his car into Alex’s drive and climbed out. The house was dark which meant she was probably curled up on the bed, all by herself, wondering when Alex was going to come home and cuddle her.

The image in his head hurt his heart. Kyle slipped his key in the lock and let himself inside the house. A moment later, he heard her tiny footsteps and her low growl but he switched the light on before she could pounce though once she saw and recognized him, she leapt into his arms and he held her tightly in his embrace.

“It’s okay, baby, I’m here” he assured her “I’m here”

Her tail was wagging like crazy and all he could do was laugh.

“Oh I missed you,” he said, “I know, I know… I’m a complete loser who’s already codependent on someone else’s dog but seriously my girl, did your daddy think I wouldn’t fall in love with you after being with you 24/7?”

He sank down on the floor and just held her.

“Now I know you’re a good girl and you don’t like your daddy’s loser boyfriend” he continued “but your daddy is the best human on the planet and he deserves the world… He deserves to be happy with someone who loves him… someone he loves in return because… one sided love… it hurts, so much… Seeing Guerin, makes you growl and foam at the mouth but me… for me, seeing him  _ with _ Guerin makes me want to cry… and I get that your daddy can’t always be here with you because sometimes he wants to be there with him… but I promise, I’ll always be here for you because you’re my best girl and my bed is lonely without you”

“So’s mine”

Alex’s voice caught him completely unaware and Kyle had to hold back a yelp of surprise. He turned around and slowly looked up at Alex while his heart was thumping in his chest.

“Holy shit, Alex!” Kyle exclaimed “What the Hell? You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked.

“Like I could stay away”

“Kyle-”

His heart was still racing as he slowly climbed to his feet, carefully cradling Candy in his arms.

“I thought you were out and I was…” Kyle began “I thought she was here all alone and I didn’t want her to be… because I missed her and I know how much she missed you and-”

“Why would she be here alone?”

Kyle shifted uncomfortably under Alex’s confused gaze.

“I thought you’d be at the junkyard” he confessed “with Michael”

“Kyle-”

“I mean, it makes sense… He was here, waiting for you today and I told you that things weren’t great between him and Maria” Kyle continued “and I know you still love him… I heard you talking to Markham about him… About seeing two people when you look at him… The guy you fell in love with in high school  _ and  _ the guy who broke your heart”

Alex looked away, nervously licked his lips and Kyle tried not to stare at the way his tongue flickered across the lips he’d been too scared to taste.

“It wasn’t Guerin I was talking about” Alex finally admitted “when I was talking to Markham in the hospital… I was… talking about  _ you _ ”

Kyle felt a wave of  _ something  _ wash over him, he wasn’t exactly sure what but he did think his heart stopped beating altogether especially when his mouth couldn’t form any words to respond with. All he could do was frown.

“Yeah… Guerin was waiting for me today... because he wanted to make sure I was okay” Alex explained. “He didn’t know I left town; was worried I’d become a reclusive shut in especially since he kept seeing you and my girl around town… but what you told me earlier? Well, he said the same thing… That things weren’t easy but they were stable, consistent… Maria is reliable and trustworthy and…  _ there _ . She never backs down from a fight, never runs away when things get tough… she doesn’t have the history and the trauma and the pain that seems to follow both of us wherever we go… We’re not good for each other; we push and pull and back and forth and… it’s gotten us nowhere… Michael’s hand has been fixed; he has a clean slate and he deserves that… Deserves to be free, to have something or someone who makes him happy… We talked a lot and we agreed on that at least… We said our goodbyes and... we let each other go”

“Are you okay?” Kyle asked him. He could see the tears brimming in Alex’s eyes as he nodded his head, yes. Kyle stood frozen, unsure if he should reach for him.

“Yeah, I guess” he paused “I mean… It’s for the best”

“But a part of you will always love him and nothing will ever change that” Kyle added “I understand that… This is gonna sound so… sappy but I don’t think you ever truly get over your first love… The feelings just… evolve into something else… nostalgia or fondness or even protectiveness… I mean, look at the badass woman Liz is now; we haven’t been a thing in years but I still love her, in my own special way… And I can see it, still, between you and him” he paused, unsure if he should say the rest. “Who knows… Maybe one day, in a few years, once everything calms down… you’ll find your way back to each other?”

“Maybe” Alex stared at the way Kyle was cradling his dog in his arms and failed to hold back a small smile “or maybe it was always our… destiny to be happy with other people? I mean he and I needed each other in high school when we both felt that we didn’t have anyone else… and when I came home from war, broken and incomplete… I didn’t think anyone would want me but Michael didn’t even flinch… It was like nothing had changed and he made me believe that… just because I lost my leg, didn’t mean I lost the ability to love or be loved”

Kyle’s eyes involuntarily flickered from Alex’s face down to his leg and back up in time to see his tongue wet his lips again.

“I was in Phoenix for, what felt like a long time, and the longer I was away the more I had to vent to process everything,” he explained, “so I told Markham everything well minus the whole alien part… He was privy to my entire life story… my goth punk phase, our summers at the cabin, rebelling against my dad, you and your bro jock days, the toolshed and Michael’s hand, running away to war and losing a piece of myself… coming home to find both my high school fling  _ and _ my high school bully still in town…? I mean, I couldn’t tell him about the crash or Project Shepherd obviously but I did tell him you were prepared to move heaven and earth to earn my forgiveness for the way you treated me”

Kyle averted his eyes then closed them altogether. He hated when Alex brought up the dark moments from their past. He wasn’t proud of the things he’d said and done to his friend and truly wished he could take it all back.

He opened his mouth, prepared to apologize yet again but froze when he felt Alex’s hand on his arm. Kyle opened his eyes to find Alex gazing at him.

“The one truth I could tell him was  _ you _ ” Alex continued “that when I look at you, it’s hard because I see two completely different people… actually three these days… The boy I fell in love with in middle school; the feelings that my father spent years trying to beat out of me… and I see my high school bully… who I was head over heels in love with but who chose to beat, tease and torment me every day… who broke my heart because I knew he’d never love me the way I loved him” 

Kyle felt tears welling in his eyes but his voice failed him yet again. Alex had been in love with him and he hadn’t even known? He really had been a self-centred, arrogant jock.

“But now I look at you, standing here before me, and I see the man you’ve become… You inherited the best traits of both your mother and your father… You’re more loyal than a pitbull; you dropped everything to be by my side when you heard I was hurt, you picked me up when I was down, held me when I needed comfort, you sheltered me during a storm and made me forget how scared I was. You once told me I was the bravest person you knew… Well, you’re  _ mine _ . Nothing fazes you, stuck in a hotel room with no power in the middle of nowhere and your first instinct is to watch ‘Die Hard’? This past week… past few weeks… I never would’ve gotten through them without you”

“Alex-”

“I know I hurt you” Alex continued “last night when I-”

“No” Kyle shook his head; cleared his throat with a nervous cough “we don’t have to talk about-”

“Yeah, we do” Alex squeezed Kyle’s arm and shot a sad smile at him.

“Alex, please don’t”

His heart was racing, was certain his pulse would be off the charts. The way Alex was  _ looking _ at him just took his breath away.

“I hate that I hurt you” Alex explained.

“You… You didn’t” his voice shook and he pulled the content puppy tighter to his chest. Her presence seemed to ease his nerves.

“Kyle, you left me stranded in the dark”

“Yeah” he sighed “I did, didn’t I?”

“The whole time you were gone, all I did was lie there and  _ think _ ” Alex continued. He brought his hand up to stroke her chin so he didn’t have to look at Kyle. “About  _ everything _ and my mind just kept coming back to… no matter how badly I wanted you to… You never once kissed me”

“I know” Kyle whispered. “I wanted to but I was scared”

“You were?”

“I just wanted to do something for you, to make you feel… good… special… appreciated… and I was afraid that kissing you, taking something I wanted for myself would break the… gesture”

“Kyle-”

They both looked up and their eyes met. Kyle could see the nervous uncertainty he felt reflected back at him from Alex’s gaze.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to” Kyle admitted “I was just… terrified that once I started, I’d never be able to stop”

“Kyle-”

“I don’t even  _ know _ when it happened… Didn’t even realize until it was too late to do anything about it… I wake up in the morning and you’re the first person I think about… I wonder what you’re doing, what your plans are for the day, how your evening was… And when I crawl into bed at night, you’re the last person I think of before I close my eyes… Because I... I’m head over heels in love with-”

The rest of his confession was cut off when Alex’s lips pressed against his, effectively silencing him. His mouth was open, mid-sentence, so the kiss was the most awkward he’d ever experienced but he didn’t  _ care _ ; to him it was still perfect. When Alex started to slowly pull away, Kyle reached for his shirt and pulled him back in for another kiss. This time it was slow, gentle and tender. Lips parted, he welcomed Alex’s tongue into his mouth and groaned into the embrace.

Candy whimpered as her tiny body was squished between theirs and they both stepped back as she struggled in Kyle’s arms. He apologized to her, dropped to his knees and placed her on the floor before he stood back up. 

His heart was still racing as he looked at Alex; his eyes flickered between his eyes and his lips. He took a deep breath then stepped closer to Alex. Kyle reached out, slowly stroked his hand up Alex’s arm until he touched his neck then he placed both hands on him, leaned closer and captured his lips once again. He felt Alex’s arms around his waist, himself being pulled closer to him until their bodies were pressed tightly together. 

He closed his eyes and practically swooned at being in Alex’s arms. When he felt his fingers underneath his shirt on his lower back, he arched into the touch and deepened the kiss. He tightened his hold on Alex and all but smothered him.

“Kyle” Alex breathed when they finally parted. They were both breathing very heavily as they clung to each other. Kyle ran his hand down Alex’s neck and grasped the front of his shirt again. “Kyle?”

“Alex-” he whispered.

“I love you too” Alex whispered.

Kyle heard a low gasp of relief pass from his own lips and his cheeks began to flush but Alex merely leaned closer and rested his forehead against Kyle’s.

“You’re so cute when you blush” Alex whispered.

“Cute?” he replied in mock surprise.

“Sexy… Doctor McSexy”

He immediately pulled away and stared at Alex in absolute horror.

“How did you know…?” he gasped. Alex laughed and the sound caused his shock to fade.

“Isobel loves to gossip” Alex admitted to him. “And I’m glad because you never know when nicknames will come in handy”

“Well… Captain my Captain… What now?”

“Excuse me?”

“Uh… I’m here and you’re here and… it’s late… and…”

Alex reached for Kyle’s hand and smiled.

“What exactly are you trying to say, Kyle?” Alex’s eyes were teasing him.

“You said your bed was very lonely”

“Are you… offering to make it less lonely?”

Kyle stared into Alex’s eyes; he pulled him close and purposely licked his lips.

“Yes” he insisted.

Their lips came together and Kyle pulled Alex’s shirt off over his head, being very cautious of his bandaged wrist, dropped it on the floor where it landed on top of Candy; she barked in protest then ran off. They both laughed then Alex pulled Kyle by the hand until they reached the bedroom. She’d beaten them and was sitting, expectantly, in the middle of the bed. They laughed again and Alex moved to pick her up.

“Ever uh… had an audience before?” Alex asked him.

“Do goldfish count?” Kyle replied.

“I uh I’ll take her out”

Alex left the room with the beagle in his arm so Kyle ducked into the bathroom and washed his hands and face when he looked up, he spotted Alex’s reflection in the mirror behind him. He was smiling at him.

“Making yourself all pretty for me?” Alex asked as he approached, wrapped his arms around Kyle’s waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.

“Did you follow me in here to get all pretty too?” Kyle asked; their eyes locked in the mirror.

But Alex smiled, placed a kiss to Kyle’s cheek.

“Bottom drawer” he said to him. Kyle raised his eyebrow but leaned down and opened it to find necessary supplies.

“You keep this stuff in your bathroom?” he asked as he plucked them from the drawer.

Alex shrugged as Kyle turned to face him.

“Growing up in my house, I learned very early on that hiding stuff in my bedroom wasn’t an option,” he explained “and I guess I never got out of that mindset… It’s also… it’s a good deterrent”

“How so?”

“Having to actually leave the room to get these things, gives me time to think if it’s something I want to do or just think I should… although, not having a leg also makes that decision easy for me” he paused, averted his gaze “I haven’t really been…  _ with _ anyone since it, y’know?” 

“Only Michael?”

“And you… kinda…” Alex smiled almost shyly.

“Come on, let’s put some certainty behind that”

Kyle started to leave, supplies still in his hands which were shaking with nervous energy. He made his way into the bedroom and heard the water running behind him. When Alex appeared a moment later, he was running his hand through his hair which made him look even more desirable to Kyle.

He sank down on the edge of the bed, just  _ looking _ at Alex while still partly in shock that this was actually happening… for real. He drew a deep breath then cocked his finger, indicated for Alex to come join him. He watched as Alex slowly moved towards him, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. His eyes didn’t know where to look; his beautiful face with his shining eyes and kissable lips. His toned, naked chest with his firm muscles. The tiny snail trail of hair from his navel that disappeared beneath the waistband of his pants.

Once he was within reach, Kyle held his arms out and guided Alex towards him. He tilted his head back as Alex leaned down to meet him. Their lips touched in a gentle kiss which quickly turned heated as Alex cupped his neck and Kyle parted his lips, welcoming his skilled tongue into his mouth. Both groaned into the embrace as Kyle wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and simply held him while they continued to exchange deep kisses.

His fear was proven real; now that he was kissing Alex, losing himself in every soft brush of his lips, flick of his tongue, he never wanted it to end. Each time Alex started to pull away, Kyle would just urge him back, to keep laying claim on his soft, beautiful lips. Alex was patient, considerate, accommodating; he was willing to follow Kyle’s lead. Would continue to kiss him for as long as he wanted. Kyle’s hands caressed Alex’s lower back, the tips of his fingers occasionally edging beneath the material of his sweats to tease the very tip of his crack.

When Kyle finally slipped his entire hand into Alex’s pants to caress the perfectly scrumptious curve of his firm cheeks, he felt himself blushing and didn’t even know why. Alex reached up, brushed the back of his palm across Kyle’s cheekbone then caressed his lip with his thumb.

“The flush of your cheeks is so sexy” Alex murmured. “ _ Doctor _ McSexy” 

“Can you please stop calling me that?” Kyle begged. 

Alex chuckled; leaned down so his lips were against Kyle’s ear.

“What if I call you  _ mine _ instead?” he whispered.

“Yes; I’m yours, Alex, all yours” Kyle insisted.

“Shhhhh… Don’t let a certain special girl hear you say that”

“I’m willing to share; I’m sure she is too”

Kyle climbed to his feet, wrapped his arms around Alex then deposited him upon the spot he’d just vacated. He lowered him onto his back then slowly, carefully eased his pants from his body. He moved forward, his eyes taking in every inch of Alex’s naked body; so thankful to no longer be hiding in the dark, finally able to see and appreciate his beauty.

He softly asked Alex’s permission; was given consent without hesitation and Kyle gently removed the prosthetic for him. Something he’d done before but this time was  _ different _ . It was another way of Alex reaffirming he wanted this, wanted to be doing this with Kyle. 

Kyle lightly stroked his fingers down Alex’s thigh to his knee but paused, waited, until Alex kissed him; took hold of his hand and assured him it was okay. They reached out together and placed Kyle’s hand upon the faded scars of his surgery. As his fingers caressed the skin, he placed a series of kisses along Alex’s jaw to his neck. When he heard the whimper of delight, memories of the previous night flooded his mind but that was then and this is now… Now they weren’t hiding in the dark and Kyle could partake in the thrill of tasting Alex’s lips. He moved his attention back there and reclaimed them.

“Fuck, Liz wasn’t kidding” Alex breathed “you really  _ are _ a great kisser”

“You had doubts?” Kyle asked. Alex blushed.

“I thought she was just bragging; high school was a long time ago”

“Yet you still remember stories of my kissing prowess?”

“And incredible foreplay tactics”

He could take the not so subtle hint; Kyle threw one leg over Alex so he was straddling him then leaned down so his clothed body was covering his naked one. He stole kisses from Alex’s lips while running his fingers up and down his strong arms before gently touching his bandage. Kyle reached for his own shirt and pulled it off over his head.

“Shoes too” Alex hissed “no shoes on the bed”

His tone said he meant business so Kyle squirmed for a beat, allowing Alex’s hardness to rub against his still covered one. Watched as Alex swallowed a groan, head back, neck exposed. Fuck, he’d spent so long last night ravishing that beautiful neck.

Another gentle brush of their cocks and Kyle reluctantly slipped off the bed. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants, watched as Alex’s eyes fixed upon the tenting in his underwear.

Alex hoisted himself up and scooted forward again, he reached for the waistband then paused. Kyle wasn’t sure why; he slid his fingers into his soft hair, reassuringly, then Alex leaned in and pressed his lips to Kyle’s abdomen.

His kisses sent an excited shiver through him which shot straight to his already hard cock. He heard a soft whimper and blushed again when he realized it had come from his own lips. Alex chuckled and slowly tried to lower Kyle’s underwear with one hand. He stopped him with a kiss and dropped them himself, stepped out of them.

Kyle urged Alex to lie back but he stayed firm, looked up at the doctor and brushed his fingers across his nipple.

“Are you sure about this?” Alex asked him.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Kyle frowned.

“Just… you know… with a guy?”

Kyle smiled. He wasn’t sure how to put into words that it wasn’t about being with a  _ guy _ ; he wanted to be with  _ Alex _ . 

“You’re not just any guy, Alex” he whispered.

He once again cupped Alex’s face and kissed him as he positioned himself between the man’s parted legs then lowered him back onto the mattress. As he leaned over, his cock brushed against Alex’s and they moaned into each other’s mouth. Kyle then stared into Alex’s eyes as he slowly thrust his hips, gently sliding his cock along the length of Alex’s; the friction caused Alex to grasp the sheets with a fist of his uninjured hand. 

Kyle continued to do this; his eyes moving from their erect cocks up to Alex’s face then back again. What he’d said was true, Alex wasn’t just any guy but even six months ago he’d never have imagined being so aroused at the idea of his cock sliding against another man’s hardness. He watched as Alex’s eyes fluttered closed, his mouth just slightly open and his tongue occasionally darting forth to lick his inviting lips.

Kyle leaned down and kissed him again as Alex’s hand rose to caress his neck, holding him in place and deepening their kiss all while their cocks continued to brush against each other. He heard the whimper in Alex’s throat and shifted his lips to kiss his neck, his adams apple, his clavicle. Kissing had always been one of his favorite past times; the stereotype that men were only interested in sex definetly didn’t apply to him. He could map another’s body with his lips for hours on end and he intended to do just that with Alex though he knew the soldier had other ideas.

“Kyle?” Alex breathed as he bucked his hips just once, encouraging  _ more _ friction.

“ _ Alex _ ” he whispered “what uh where exactly is uh this…” he paused. 

Alex smiled up at him, softly stroked his cheek.

“How… far… do you wanna go here?” Alex finished for him.

“As far as you’re willing to let me” Kyle murmured as he gazed into his eyes.

Alex merely smiled back, kissed him again and pulled him close; placed a single kiss to Kyle’s forehead.

“You can do whatever you want to me” Alex whispered.

“With you,” Kyle corrected him. “I want to do this with you… Not  _ to _ you”

Their bodies slowly moved together once again; cocks grinding, lips teasing and claiming, both becoming possessive, hungry and desperate for the other. The only parts of their bodies currently touching were their lips and their cocks but it was possibly the most erotic thing Kyle had ever experienced. He already knew that he’d  _ never  _ tire of kissing these beautiful lips.

“What exactly do you have in mind?” Alex whispered when they parted to draw breath.

It was Kyle’s turn to caress Alex’s cheek, he peered at him with love and nerves in his eyes. 

“Just… to make you mine,” he confessed with a faint blush upon his skin.

“How? I mean… There’s the jockey, missionary, the booster seat, doggystyle-”

“Shhh, not in front of Candy!”

“She’s not in the room, remember?”

“Oh, yeah” he blushed again at how many… positions Alex was listing.

“Cannonball? Teaspoons? Cowbo-”

Kyle leaned in, kissed the rest of that word from his lips.

“I think you’ve done enough cowboys, soldier!” Kyle said to him. 

“Jealous?” Alex teased.

“Oh absolutely” his voice dripped with sarcasm.

Kyle moved in for another kiss, wrapped his arms around Alex then rolled them both over so Alex was on top of him, bodies still pressed together. Now it was Alex’s turn to thrust against him; Kyle groaned with delight at his body being covered entirely by Alex’s naked one. He trailed his fingers down the mans back to cup his ass with both hands and squeeze the round orbs affectionately as he bucked against him. They both moaned into the kiss; Alex more so when Kyle’s index finger breached him.

“Are you trying to give me a prostate exam or…?” Alex teased.

“For  _ that  _ I should spank you” Kyle whispered.

“Maybe next time? And you could wear your lab coat?” 

“Kinky”

“I can be”

“That’s... good to know” 

Alex’s lips brushed against Kyle’s ear.

“I don’t mean to hurry you along” he began “but if you don’t fuck me soon...”

“You’ll what?” Kyle teased him, rubbing their cocks together very slowly.

He tried to glare at him but his eyes betrayed him; Alex was too aroused to think of a viable threat. All he could do was reach out with his free hand and grasp the tube of lube which he pressed into Kyle’s hand.

“Finger me like you did last night” Alex whispered “please?”

“Okay” he breathed.

He rolled off of Kyle, onto his stomach and playfully wiggled his hips. Kyle reached out, stroked his hand down the small of his back and over the roundness of his ass. One single gentle slap elicited a chuckle from Alex. He coated two fingers as Alex arched up and he pressed into him, drawing a long low moan from his lips. They met halfway and Kyle dipped his tongue into Alex’s mouth while nudging his fingers in and out of his ass.

His index and middle fingers scissored him open further and further until he was able to edge a third finger inside. Alex elevated his hips to slowly grind his cock against the mattress while continuing to kiss Kyle’s lips.

Kyle continued his ministrations, moving his fingers in and out of the tight space, revelling in the way Alex moved into his touch. He didn’t ease up, pressing deeper, his heart pounding at the effects his actions were having on the other man. Alex was almost whining with need, begging and pleading for Kyle to give him  _ more _ .

“So uh we never did decide…” Kyle whispered.

“Decide what?” Alex purred.

“How to do this” he kissed his lips “how do you uh… prefer to…”

“Kyle, you’re blushing”

“How do you want me to fuck you?”

“Slowly”

“That’s not-” he cut him off with another kiss.

“I know” Alex smirked “I know what you meant”

Kyle slowly extracted his fingers to a low moan from Alex who immediately rolled onto his back and battered his eyes at Kyle. His eyes trailed the length of Alex’s naked body, down to his rock hard cock which was already weeping with need. Kyle swallowed nervously; a part of him wanted a taste but he’d never done anything like that before and hoped Alex wouldn’t be expecting him to be too adventurous this early in the relationship. He reached out with his other hand, wrapped his fingers around his hardness and gave a few affectionate strokes.

They both shifted on the mattress as Kyle reached for the condom packaging and Alex sat up, watching him. Kyle tore it open then rolled the condom over his hardness while Alex picked up the lube and handed it back to Kyle. When Kyle opened the tube, Alex held out his hand and whispered ‘please, let me’ in his ear. He swallowed then nodded, poured lube into Alex’s hand and held his breath as Alex’s lubed fingers grasped his cock. It was almost enough to make him come on the spot; had been so long since he’d been with anyone. The feel of his long, skilled fingers caused Kyle to buck into Alex’s touch while wordlessly telling him not to stop.

Alex kissed him while working him, coating him, preparing him. When they finally parted, they each stared into the other’s eyes.

“Last chance to change your mind” Alex whispered to him.

“No chance” Kyle replied before kissing him, to show there was no hesitation on his part.

He moved into position while Alex shifted, lie down on his back and parted his legs. Kyle slipped between his thighs, placed one hand upon Alex’s thigh then used his other to guide his cock inside Alex’s body. Both let out groans as he slowly edged inside. His heart was racing as he claimed his desire then leaned down to steal a kiss. Alex moved up to meet him halfway then they slowly began to move together as one. Bodies pressed together, hips gyrating, lips locked, they rocked insync with the other. When Kyle thrust harder, deeper, Alex cried out and clung to him. Kyle pulled his body closer so Alex was practically sitting in his lap and he kissed his lips.

“There’s a name for this position” Alex whispered in his ear.

“If you say cowboy-” Kyle began to protest.

“No” Alex kissed him “but it’s definitely one of my personal favorites… Perfect for kissing your lips while riding your hard cock”

“I love it when you talk dirty like that”

They continued to move as one, Kyle’s cock brushed against Alex’s prostate and caused the soldier to cry out in delight. He reached down and began to vigorously stroke Alex’s hardness, loved the sounds spilling from Alex’s lips. He didn’t kiss them away, letting them spew into the air like music to Kyle’s ears. He slowed his pace for several moments until building up increased friction again. They kept alternating the pace; slow and beautiful then hard and fast until they were both on the brink of coming. Kyle slowed his pace and simply held Alex to him, their hearts beating almost in perfect sync.

Kyle reached down, his fingers stroking Alex’s thigh and down his leg to the scarred stump.

“Kyle?” Alex whispered.

“You trust me, don’t you?” Kyle asked him.

“Yeah… I do; I do”

He continued to caress Alex’s leg while softly kissing his lips. They were both close but were also stubborn over which of them would come first. Kyle fought hard to hold on, to prolong this beautiful moment but the entire experience was overwhelming. When Alex kissed him, told him it was okay, he let go. His seed spilled forth, filling the condom while he cried out incoherently. He clung to Alex as he lost control, his body trembling as he rode his orgasm in Alex’s arms. Kyle reached down and grasped Alex’s cock, began pumping the organ until he too tipped over the edge. His come trickled from the tip, coating Kyle’s fingers while Alex softly cried  _ his _ name.

They continued to hold each other while fighting to catch their breath. Kyle placed gentle kisses to Alex’s neck until the initial wave of pleasure had passed.

“That was…” Kyle whispered. “Wow”

“I love you, Kyle” Alex replied before he placed a kiss to his lips.

They were both spent, too exhausted to move so they continued to cling to each other for a long time after. Kyle eventually lowered Alex onto the bed, extracted himself from his embrace and removed the condom. He looked around for a garbage can but couldn’t see one. Kyle spent the next few moments in the bathroom cleaning himself up then returned to wipe the traces of their lovemaking from Alex’s body.

Once finished, he stood by the bed and just admired how beautiful Alex looked. His eyes closed, lips flushed, hair mussed; the sight took his breath away especially once Alex reached out a hand for him, inviting him back to bed. He climbed onto the mattress, pulled Alex into his arms and kissed him.

* 

He awoke to the feeling of nuzzling against his neck. Eyes still closed, Kyle immediately reached for Alex but touched fur instead. His eyes fluttered open and he found a pair of wide, brown eyes staring back at him. Kyle instantly pulled the beagle into his arms and hugged her. When he checked, the bed was empty bar the two of them so he looked around for Alex but there was no sign of him.

Kyle scooped the puppy into his arms and climbed out of bed. His bare feet didn’t make a sound as he silently trudged down the hall, heading for the kitchen. As he passed the bathroom, the door opened and he was met by a towel clad Alex who smiled at him.

“Now there’s a sight I could get used to” Alex greeted him “my naked lover and my best girl, first thing in the morning”

“I uh woke up and you were gone so…”

“Thought I was getting some payback?”

“I uh I just didn’t know what to think…”

Alex grinned then let go of the towel so he was standing naked before Kyle.

“Kyle, I don’t regret anything that happened last night” he assured him.

But Kyle wasn’t listening, couldn’t take his eyes off Alex’s body though to his disappointment Alex picked up the towel and covered himself again.

“Someone’s no fun in the morning” Kyle whispered to Candy. She barked in agreement. He followed Alex back to the bedroom.

“I didn’t have time to go grocery shopping yesterday” Alex confessed. “Can I take you to breakfast?”

“Got anywhere particular in mind?” Kyle asked.

“The Crashdown?”

“That’s uh a bit public, isn’t it?”

Alex reached for him.

“I’m hungry, you’re hungry… Who cares? Let’s just go”

“Can I meet you there in half an hour?” Kyle asked him. “Need a shower and a change of clothes”

“Uh… Sure”

Kyle deposited the beagle down on the bed then began to collect his discarded clothes. Alex moved about the room getting dressed himself. When Kyle was ready to leave, he started to the door but Alex grabbed him, pulled him back and kissed him

“I’ll see you in a bit”

“In a bit”

*

Exactly half an hour later, Kyle walked into the fairly busy cafe and managed to score the last available booth. He checked his watch repeatedly until Alex finally appeared beside the table. He climbed to his feet then paused, awkwardly, unsure how to greet him in public. He opted for a casual hug.

They sat down, ordered breakfast then waited for their meals. Their hands were resting on the table, almost touching but neither bridged the gap. When the food arrived, they ate in silence for a few minutes while Kyle brushed his foot against Alex’s calf. He hadn’t played footsie with someone in years and it felt good. The way Alex would catch his eye then smile at him...

Kyle had zero regrets right now. He could sit in this booth opposite Alex all day, just staring at him and appreciating how much he adored him. He was already imagining going home with him at night, waking up in bed with him. They could go to the movies, be a normal couple in a very abnormal town. They could leave all the weird alien crap to the actual aliens and just  _ be _ . 

“Thank you” Kyle finally said to him.

“For what?” Alex asked before placing the last bite of his pancake into his mouth.

“Making me your emergency contact”

“Kyle-”

“I mean, I know you didn’t have anyone else but…” he reached for his hand; Alex didn’t even flinch.

“You’re not my last choice, Kyle. From now on, you’re always going to be my first”

Alex leaned over the table and placed a very public kiss upon Kyle’s lips. They parted at the sound of breaking glass. Both turned to see Michael sitting at the counter with broken glass on the floor at his feet. For a beat, nothing happened then he slowly began to nod his head. He wasn’t smiling but he understood. He tipped his hat to them before taking the broom Liz handed him and cleaning up the mess he’d made.

Kyle turned his attention back to Alex and took his hand. They didn’t need anyone’s approval to be together but knowing Michael accepted this was Alex’s choice, made a difference to both of them. Alex paused to throw money down on the table then he grasped Kyle’s hand and the couple walked out of the Crashdown together, eyes locked with loving smiles on their faces.

Neither said a word as they both made their way to Alex’s car, Kyle having caught an uber there. They drove to Alex’s house but didn’t go inside, Alex simply opened the door and collected his overexcited puppy. Kyle attached her leash then the couple walked hand in hand down the street to the local park with their precious girl in tow. She was as excited as they were to be out and about together. 

Just one happy family. Alex removed the leash and she bounded to a nearby tree while he sank down on a park bench next to Kyle. He rested his head on his shoulder as their hands touched, fingers entwined then they watched their baby girl as she chased an unsuspecting squirrel up a tree. They both laughed. Alex sat up and looked into Kyle’s eyes.

“Thank you for coming for me” Alex whispered. “You didn’t have to but you did and that meant something”

“I’ll always come for you, Alex” Kyle assured him. “I promise”

They each leaned in for a kiss which was interrupted by Candy dropping a stick at Kyle’s feet. He laughed and gently petted her.

“So now that we’re together, can we start talking joint custody?” he asked.

“I knew you were only using me for my dog”

“And you only got a dog to help you chat up hot guys”

“So I guess it worked then?”

“I love you, Alex Manes”

Alex leaned close, pressed his lips to Kyle’s ear.

“And I love you, Michael Guerin” he whispered.

Kyle pulled away, jaw open in mock horror. He playfully slapped him.

“Did I say something wrong?” Alex teasingly laughed.

Kyle got to his feet, pulled Alex up as well and started to drag him away from the park with Candy following close behind, her leash grasped in her own mouth as she trailed after her owner.

“For  _ that,  _ I’m going to spank your ass until you’re begging for mercy” Kyle teased.

“Really, Doctor Valenti?” Alex hissed.

“I love it when you call me  _ Doctor _ ” 

“Doctor McSexy”

“Oh someone just earned himself  _ another  _ spanking”

As they reached the front stoop, Alex wrapped his arms around Kyle’s neck, rested his bandaged wrist upon his shoulder.

“Oh please Doctor” Alex teased “I’m just a naughty, naughty nurse…  _ please  _ teach me a lesson”

Kyle kicked the door open, scooped Alex into his arms and carried inside. Up to the bedroom where they spent the next few hours in bed together and Alex’s repeated cries of his lover’s name grew louder and louder until he stopped saying ‘Kyle’ altogether and they started to call each other the same thing ‘mine’.


End file.
